White Clouds in the Western Sky
by Adamantina
Summary: The Heavens were said to have destined her for a mysterious tragedy, but they failed to crush her spirit. Disregarding ominous premonitions, made ten years earlier, a girl sets out to win hearts, armed only with her warmth and laughter.
1. Chapter One: Four Sisters

**Chapter One: Four Sisters **

_Four girls. Four virtues. Four tragedies._

* * *

Xi Wen Qing had been governor of Jingzhou City for as long as its populace seemed to remember, although in reality, the man wasn't quite that old. Forty-five years of age and medium of height, Lord Xi had the perfect face for a politician: handsome and distinguished, yet, at the same time, compassionate in countenance.

Accompanied by a group of some of his most trusted advisors, the well-versed governor was currently walking down one of the numerous flower gardens which surrounded his sprawling estate. This small assembly of the best-educated men in the province strolled at a leisurely pace down the bamboo-lined stone path, thoughtfully discussing the most recent outbreak of Yellow Turban rebellions that was sweeping across China.

At the same time that these scholars and politicians were holding their conversation, a smaller but much more light-hearted group was also making its way across the maze-like courtyards and gardens. In the lead was a pretty and pert little girl dressed in lotus-pink silk, giggling and running happily amongst the fragrant rose beds and blooming peach trees. Trailing behind the child were her amah and a couple of young handmaids, who laughingly chased after their Little Miss and called out merrily that the girl slow down, else she might fall.

The little girl in pink took no heed of their warnings, and kept on weaving in and out from amongst the flowers until she finally reached Lord Xi. With a merry laugh of, "Papa!" she leapt toward the stately governor with outstretched hands, and was promptly scooped up into his arms.

Lord Xi was at once surprised and delighted by his daughter's unexpected arrival, as he flicked off some pink-and-white peach blossoms which had fallen into said daughter's short raven hair while asking her, "Little Treasure, what special occasion calls for this visit?"

At that moment, her amah and handmaids finally caught up to their willful young charge, and the girl's nurse spoke up admonishingly, "Miss Xi Tian, you ought to know by now not to interrupt your father and the other gentlemen when they're talking."

Pretty little Xi Tian only made a playful sound of displeasure from her tiny throat, and her scrunched-up nose drew an affectionate laugh from her doting father, as Lord Xi reassured the girl, "It's all right,_ wo de xiao bao bei (1)._ One interruption won't have any devastating effects."

Hearing this, Xi Tian's amah warned, "My Lord, you'll be spoiling the girl at this rate," while the pretty young handmaids behind her giggled into each other's shoulders at the sight of that redoubtable old nurse going up against Jingzhou City's governor.

"Of course. I intend to spoil all my daughters," Lord Xi calmly replied, bouncing Xi Tian around in his arms and asking her, "Well now, Little Treasure, what is it that you want?"

The child tossed a gleeful grin in her amah's direction, before turning to her father and announcing, "Papa, a fortune-teller and his apprentice have just arrived at the city. Can me and Sisters go? Please?" she added, almost as an afterthought.

The devoted father laughed fondly, before turning to his advisors and excusing himself with a refined bow. Then, he strolled out of the garden with his mischievous young daughter in his arms.

* * *

The recently arrived fortune-teller turned out to be an ancient yet sage-looking man with snow-white hair and a long, flowing beard. Dressed in a plain Taoist robe of blue cotton cloth and sitting behind a low wooden stand, the old man looked particularly delighted by the sight of Lord Xi's pretty young daughters—four of them in total—lined up before him, according to age and height, to have their fortunes told.

To the far left sat Xi Lien, the eldest at age ten, dressed in radiant saffron-and-gold brocade and already showing signs of a promised beauty to emerge in later years.

Second was the demure and well-read Xi Yue in frothy jade-green silk, aged eight years, soft-spoken yet undeniably bright.

Perky six-year-old Xi Tian, the child responsible for this session, came next, pretty and sunny and wrapped in a cloud of lotus-pink.

The youngest of the four sisters, Xi Ai, was a mere fourteen-month-old toddler, and seemed more interested in the delicate blossoms embroidered on her vibrant violet dress than in what her future might hold.

The old fortune-teller smiled at the four girls, making a big show of casting his lots to entertain them. When he was finished interpreting the first set of symbols, he broke into a wide smile, and began to applaud Lord Xi on the good fortune of the latter's four young daughters.

"My congratulations, sir. It appears that you have a quartet of little goddesses in your household," he praised the devoted father, and proceeded to explain the lots.

"The eldest girl, Xi Lien, shall grow up to be a great beauty, on par with—and perhaps even surpassing—that loveliest of all the goddesses in the Heavens, Chang'e," the old man began.

"Xi Yue, also virtuous and fair, will develop into the brightest and best-educated young lady in Western China, and her poetry will be highly praised by even the most learned of scholars.

"Xi Tian, bless the sweet child, is already showing her affectionate and endearing little ways; with her charm and warm personality when she grows up, she could marry a prince if she should so choose.

"And dear little Xi Ai, she is to be a stubborn one, but in due time, she will begin to show remarkable talent in the ways of the sword—she'll grow up to be a lady warrior," concluded the fortune-teller.

The four girls' father looked somewhat concerned about the last part of the fortune-teller's prediction, frowning thoughtfully and stroking his beard. He then absently took out a white silk handkerchief and wiped at his baby daughter's nose, as he tried to picture the disobedient toddler before him as a grown-up swordswoman.

And then the fortune-teller bent to decipher the second lots. Whatever he saw of the four girls' futures there must have shocked him a great deal, for his lips turned as white as his hair and his eyes widened into pale, round marbles. The old man examined the symbols before him a second time, before heaving a deep sigh and sorrowfully shaking his head, as though accepting these four futures.

Turning to Lord Xi, who was virtually aglow with fatherly pride, the aged fortune-teller said in a soft, pitying voice, "I'm deeply sorry, my lord."

And with those puzzling words, the old man stood up, shook out his sleeves, and prepared to leave.

Lord Xi was naturally startled by this sudden change in attitude, and voiced both his concerns and his protests, but the wise old Taoist would only concede, "Take good care of your four daughters...And please, choose very carefully amongst their suitors when it is time for each of them to wed."

With these enigmatic words, the old man promptly left, assisted by his young apprentice.

His customer was at first perplexed by this vague advice, but eventually came to dismiss it as the deluded ramblings of a senile old quack. In any case, Lord Xi soon forgot about the fortune-teller altogether, when his beloved four daughters crowded around him and began asking for individual little favors and presents.

"Papa, I want to go see the newest play," Xi Lien pleaded sweetly.

"Papa, might it be possible to find a tutor other than Mr. Yang? He has little interest in poetry," Xi Yue requested in a soft voice.

"Papa, can I have that little doll?" Xi Tian trilled, pointing at a display that a street vendor had set up on his table.

Baby Xi Ai just kept singsonging, "Papa! Papa! Papa!" not knowing what to ask for but wanting to join her elder sisters in all the fun, anyway.

And thus, laughing heartily, Lord Xi allowed himself to be led away by his four lively daughters.

Meanwhile, the fortune-teller's young apprentice darted a quick look back as he helped his master navigate the bustling streets of Jingzhou City.

After watching the governor being led away by his children, the young man turned around and asked curiously, "Master, what did you see in the girls' lots that upset you so much?"

His elder heaved a great sigh, and, seeing that the crowds had thinned out and the noise died down somewhat, condescended to divulge the images he'd seen in the lots.

"The symbols I saw were these," he revealed.

"An exquisite lotus flower, torn to pieces so that its still-beautiful petals are floating despondently in the water.

"A radiant silver moon, abruptly engulfed and swallowed by a monstrous black crow.

"A lovely sky at sunrise, split asunder by a white cloud in the shape of a tiger.

"A bleak, frozen-over river, solid under a heavy sheet of red ice, except for one piece which has broken off and is being roughly blown away by a heavy wind," the old man finished darkly.

The apprentice considered these images, and their significance, in silence. After a few minutes, he gave up and admitted sheepishly, "Your pupil still doesn't understand, Master. Could you please explain?"

After a stretch of silence, that was exactly what his master did.

"The torn lotus flower corresponds to the eldest daughter, Xi Lien. She is fated to die long before her beauty can begin to fade, torn apart by her own ardent suitors," the old fortune-teller began by explaining the first girl's fate.

"The swallowed moon corresponds to Xi Yue. She is doomed to marry a man whose cruelty and jealousy will overpower her brightness and lead to her own destruction.

"The sky dominated by the white cloud corresponds to Xi Tian. Great generals are often likened to tigers; hence the fate of that charming child will be tightly interwoven with that of a man who might set out for the battlefield one day and never come back.

"Lastly, the red ice corresponds to that courageous little Xi Ai. Red is the color that represents love and marriage, and the poor girl's very name means 'Love.' However, there will be no love in her future, for she will be torn too soon from her family like that one piece of ice that has broken away from the rest; a river wind points to river pirates as the ones to blame." And he relapsed into silence.

The little apprentice could only listen to these tragic predictions in astonished silence, a little disbelieving that such fantastic tales could actually come true. He lagged behind his old master, pondering over what had just been revealed to him.

The fortune-teller seemed not to notice this, as he merely shook his head and steadily walked on.

"Beauty, brightness, charm, and courage," he whispered mournfully to himself. "Heaven has a heavy price for these all."

* * *

_1. My little treasure._


	2. Chapter Two: A Marriage Proposal

**Chapter Two: A Marriage Proposal**

_He's the foremost warrior in China. She's a sheltered and playful nobleman's daughter. Perfect match, or prelude to disaster?_

* * *

Ten years had passed since that fateful day when an aged fortune-teller had felicitously congratulated Lord Xi on his four fine young daughters, only to look at the aristocrat with great pity mere minutes later.

On one bright spring morning, a caravan draped in red entered Jingzhou City with much pomp and fanfare, making straight for the sprawling Xi estate. The vibrant cardinal brocades and rich gold tassels of that particular little parade striked a rather indecorous note with the Xi mansion, which was embraced by quiet, softly green bamboos and weeping willows.

At the head of the red caravan was none other than the mighty Lu Bu of Hu Lao Gate fame, dashing and handsome in his splendid armor and proudly nodding pheasant-tail headdress, yet dark and intimidating at the same time as he rode atop that famous thousand-_li_ horse, Red Hare.

The colossal warrior and his scarlet-swathed procession arrived at the Xi estate's tall front gates, and were respectfully led into its main courtyard by a servant. After making the proper obeisance to such an impressive visitor, the young lad promptly hurried off to notify his master.

Lu Bu, with nothing better to do other than wait, took the time to look around the charming premises. The estate's beauty—frothy plum and gingko trees, artfully carved stone paths, goldfish ponds and clear silver brooks, and seas of orchids and lotuses as far as the eye could see—was great enough for even the ferocious general to appreciate.

In his wanderings, he eventually noticed four great gates outlined in red, one on each of the four walls enclosing the Xi property. Above each gate was its name, written in elegant calligraphy. Somewhat curious, he moved closer to read these, scattering a handful of waddling mandarin ducks in his wake: Western Lotus, Western Moon, Western Sky, Western Love.

After deciphering each ideogram, Lu Bu paused, puzzled as to what kinds of auspicious maxims these cryptic words were supposed to mean. Never analytic, and easily irritated by those things which he didn't understand, he turned away with a mildly annoyed scowl on his features...

...Until he abruptly remembered that the family name of Jingzhou City's governor, "Xi," was written exactly the same way as the Chinese character for the word "West." Lien, Yue, Tian, Ai—Lotus, Moon, Sky, Love—Lu Bu now realized that these four gates must have been named after four especially beloved members of the Xi family. Judging by the femininity of the four names, he could only guess that their owners were Lord Xi's daughters.

However, he didn't have long to ponder over this (not that he would have done so if left to his own devices, anyway), for at that moment Lord Xi emerged from the house to welcome his famous—infamous?—guest. After the usual courtesies and pleasantries had been exchanged, Lu Bu's red-draped gifts presented, and his host had sent for some of the best litchi wine that Jingzhou produced, the reason for this particular visit was finally broached, rather unsubtly by the warrior, in a more refined fashion by the politician.

"It's really quite simple," Lu Bu began. "Prime Minister Dong Zhuo has always wanted to strengthen his alliances from across the River Han...and it's a well-known fact that the House of Xi has four daughters."

What he conveniently failed to mention, however, was that his adopted father had become increasingly irate at Lu Bu's seducing all the court maidens before he himself could get to them. Dong Zhuo was quite frankly hoping that a wife might make the restless warrior forget about handmaids and settle down for a few months—perhaps even an entire year if the bride happened to be particularly attractive.

However, even Lu Bu, thoughtless and utterly lacking in tact as he was, knew better than to make a ruinous first impression on his future father-in-law by revealing his own amorous little activities off the battlefield.

At that moment, a pretty young handmaid with fresh jasmines in her hair brought the wine on a mahogany tray. She blushed under Lu Bu's appreciative look as she served the drinks, before sedately retreating on small, swift feet.

Both men lifted their bronze goblets and toasted each other, then drank at the same time. As Lord Xi was setting down his cup, he commented thoughtfully, "Hmm, a match between one of my daughters and the Prime Minister's son would, indeed, be an advantageous alliance to both parties."

Here, the governor of Jingzhou City paused and swept one arm around the room. Lu Bu followed with his eyes until he saw four delicate scrolls, one hanging on each of the four walls and bearing a portrait of a lovely young girl.

"I have four daughters," Lord Xi confirmed. "Xi Lien, Xi Yue, Xi Tian, and Xi Ai. My second daughter recently married a son of the Marquis of Qi, while my littlest girl is but a child of eleven. However, my third daughter is now two and eight, and of marriageable age."

After uttering those words, Lord Xi couldn't help but pause and inwardly hesitate: For although Lu Bu possessed both looks and power, he was, after all, a man well into his late twenties...And he wielded such a fearsome reputation. Lord Xi couldn't help but feel a qualm of fear for his treasured sixteen-year-old darling's safety and happiness, being the wife of such a terrible warrior.

Nevertheless, the Jingzhou-born politician knew better than to insult either father or son. Therefore, after this discreet pause, Lord Xi cleared his throat and declared with an outwards show of confidence, "I am sure that my little girl will be honored to be able to serve the great general."

Lu Bu, meanwhile, was still gazing admiringly at one of the four delicately painted scrolls. He was immediately captivated by the most exquisite of the four girls—a saffron-clad beauty daintily holding a pale pink lotus flower in her hands.

Never one to be discreet, Lu Bu asked his host, "Governor, whom might that girl with the lotus flower be?"

Deep inside, he hoped that she would turn out to be the third daughter—the one promised to him as a bride.

Lord Xi took a surprisingly long time to reply. Just as Lu Bu was beginning to get rather impatient and irritated—and the two emotions themselves were beginning to manifest on his easily-read face—his host finally broke the silence by answering in a subdued and obviously pained voice.

"That girl, with the lotus flower, is my eldest daughter, Xi Lien," the older man spoke in almost a whisper. "Many jealous suitors fought for her hand...She passed away six months ago. If you'll pardon me, General Lu, I'd rather not get into the details."

"Oh." Lu Bu coughed, looking almost awkward, as Lord Xi relapsed into silence.

Finally, after heaving a deep sigh, the elder of the two raised his voice and called out, "Yinchun!"

The same sweet little handmaid who'd served them wine earlier now appeared underneath the arching doorway.

"Yinchun, let Miss Xi Tian know that her presence is requested here," her master instructed her. To Lu Bu, he added, "My little girl will be honored to meet the great general today, if he'll only deign to stay a few minutes longer."

Lu Bu saw no reason to leave immediately, so he condescended to remain with a nod of his head. Seeing the guest's assent, Yinchun fleetly hurried away, presumably to fetch her young mistress.

However, a few minutes later, the pretty handmaid came back and reported timidly, "My lord, Great General—Miss Xi Tian is not to be found in any of her courts."

Hearing this, Lord Xi responded by giving a shake of his head. However, he was smiling when he did this, remarking fondly and without the least hint of alarm, "That precious little creature—I think I know exactly where we'll find her, General Lu."

And with that, he stood up and led Lu Bu outside, to a certain garden abloom with rainbow-bright orchids and tulips.

There, on the mossy bank by a lily lake, was a lovely young girl of about sixteen or seventeen years of age, with shimmering raven hair and pearl-white skin tinged with the deepest rose. Dressed in luxurious pink silk and bedecked with flowers and jewelry, she was currently laughing spiritedly and throwing a varicolored velvet ball back and forth with half a dozen of her handmaids.

Lord Xi darted a quick look at Lu Bu out of the corner of his eyes; the warrior appeared quite charmed by this pretty sight before him. Lord Xi then raised his voice so as to be heard above all the carefree laughter, calling out, "Tian Tian!"

At the sound of his voice, the girls stopped their game, before the one in pink detached herself from the group and ran up to Lord Xi.

"Papa!" She hugged him happily, disregarding the usual conventions for which a young girl should act in the presence of men.

Lord Xi smiled down fondly at the now sixteen-year-old Xi Tian, before hinting meaningfully, "Little Treasure, shouldn't you hurry and greet the great general Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian?"

At this reproach, Xi Tian turned to Lu Bu with a self-conscious giggle, dropping a curtsey in his direction while subtly examining his looks from under veiled lashes. Meanwhile, her father kept reproving affectionately, "Daughter, I had been hoping that you would meet General Lu in a more presentable state."

"Oh, it's no great matter," Lu Bu hastened to declare, before leaning down and drawing the girl closer to him—under the pretense of helping her up—so as to have an excuse to look his future bride over.

Up close, he realized that young Xi Tian was, in reality, not as beautiful a girl as he'd initially thought. Hers was a charming face, pleasing to the male eye, with mischievous gold irises and a softly carmine mouth. The features were delicate, blended in such a way so as to give their owner a perpetually sweet countenance, but there was nothing extraordinary about them. She was cute, without a doubt, but she also lacked the radiance with which some girls could capture even the coldest man's heart.

At that moment, Xi Tian, conscious of Lu Bu's none-too-subtle gaze, laughed with semi-timidity and playfully hid part of her face behind the sheer rose handkerchief she was holding in her hands. Whatever effect this had on Lu Bu must have been a positive one, for he leaned back and smiled pleasedly at his pretty bride-to-be, nodding to himself.

As Xi Tian returned to her laughing and teasing handmaids, her father respectfully escorted Lu Bu to the front gates.

"When can you send the girl to Chang'An?" the warrior asked nonchalantly, leaping atop Red Hare's saddle with a languid grace uncommon in men of his great stature.

Lord Xi could only cough in reply.

"I'm afraid a suitable wedding date has yet to be chosen, General Lu," he finally answered apologetically, "but when it is, she will be sent to the capital as soon as possible."

This promise seemed to please Lu Bu, and, satisfied enough, he rode away with all his soldiers and servants in tow.

However, it was also a promise that would soon lead the father of the bride to ruin.

* * *

A/N: All right, I hope the story has picked up some pace with the second installment. If it's still kind of slow for your taste, please bear with me—I'm still setting up the story, but I figure I can handle about one update per week. Also, thanks a million to all the people who reviewed.


	3. Chapter Three: Misalliance

**Chapter Three: Misalliance**

_A swallowed moon results in an army storming Jingzhou City, and seals the fate of a once-prominent family's descent into ruin._

* * *

A week flew by after Lu Bu's visit to Jingzhou City, and its governor's household was soon deeply immersed in all the troubles and preparations that come with an impending marriage alliance. Possible wedding dates were pored over, lavish gifts were bought—pearls and jades and precious silks, all to be sent to Chang'An as the bridal dowry—and day and night, guests dropped by to wish happiness to the young bride-to-be and her family.

However, these visitors always arrived sedately and gracefully, and the lone figure who crashed through the gates and ran into the main courtyard on a Sunday twilight was anything but.

"Lord Xi!" she sobbed breathlessly, as the household's annoyed servants tried to hush her up, scandalized that she should behave so recklessly in the master's presence. The girl paid their chastisements no heed, and continued running here and there while calling out, "Lord Xi! Lord Xi!"

When she finally found the governor, she flung herself at his feet and began to weep.

Lord Xi pulled the girl up, and was immediately alarmed when he recognized her as a handmaid named An-Lin but always known as Firelight because of her bright, sassy personality. She had been a favorite of his second daughter, Xi Yue, and had left with her mistress when the latter had moved into her husband's state of Qi.

"Little Firelight, what's the matter?" he now asked, a heavy feeling of dread beginning to settle into the pit of his stomach.

That feeling of foreboding was confirmed when Firelight buried her face into a vibrant crimson handkerchief and wailed inconsolably, "My Lord, she's dead! Lady Xi Yue is dead!"

The thunderstruck father turned the color of cold ashes and almost collapsed upon hearing this unexpected and devastating piece of news, as other servants present immediately rushed to their master's aid. When Lord Xi finally recovered, he pulled the crying handmaid to her feet and asked despairingly, "How...how did it happen? Tell me, how did my poor little girl die? Yue Yue was still alive...at the Festival of the Moon..."

Firelight wiped her eyes on her handkerchief, before replying, "Lord Xi, it's because of Milady's husband, the Marquis of Qi's second son. He became jealous and insecure for having a wife clearly brighter and more talented than he is, so he made Milady's life miserable by constantly putting her down in public and taking one concubine after another. Milady finally could stand the shame and misery no longer, and hanged herself with the same red silk veil she wore at her wedding!"

The devastated father let out a wail of anguish at hearing the wretched way in which his second daughter perished, before suddenly clutching at his heart as he slumped into a heap on the floor, while alarmed servants crowded closer and cried out, "Lord Xi!"

* * *

Suddenly, the impending marriage of Xi Tian to the untamed and unpredictable Lu Bu metamorphosed from a valuable match to a merciless sword hanging above the Xi Clan's head. Having just lost two of his beloved four daughters, the bereaved family patriarch was now loath to give up his precious remaining two girls.

As he sat alone one night, stargazing without much enthusiasm, memory abruptly came back of the old fortune-teller's look of pity from ten years earlier. Lord Xi straightened up, wondering whether these deaths were the tragedies that the ancient one had foreseen all that time ago. As he pondered over this new possibility, he broke into a cold sweat as to the fate of his third daughter if she were to become the wife of such a man as Lu Bu.

Now, no day ever seemed suitable for sending Xi Tian to Chang'An to be married. As a result, the wedding date kept getting pushed back, much to Lu Bu's frustration, and then, mounting anger.

A year dragged by, during which innumerable excuses passed back and forth across the roads between Jingzhou City and Chang'An.

When Lu Bu received the latest in a never-ending stream of letters from his supposed father-in-law, detailing as to why Xi Tian couldn't leave for the wedding just yet, he tore the paper to pieces with a cry of unchecked fury. Picking up his gleaming Sky Scorcher, the warrior split the nearest table in half, threatening the terrified courier that his head would be the next object torn apart if he didn't return with more favorable news.

When Lord Xi heard of his future son-in-law's wrath upon the messenger's return, he sank desolately into a chair, wondering how to appease the livid warrior and buy some more time for his daughter.

Finally, he arrived at what seemed like a viable solution, and sent to Chang'An two of his household's most talented handmaids, Yu Hua and Xue Hua—Jade Blossom and Snow Blossom—a pair of sisters as lovely as their namesakes. These two beauties, along with a generous gift of gold, were offered to Lu Bu in hopes that his thoughts might be diverted from Xi Tian for a while longer.

* * *

Unfortunately for Lord Xi, his plan was thwarted when Dong Zhuo took a fancy to the two charming maidens, and chose to keep them for himself.

As for Lu Bu, he never even saw either Jade Blossom or Snow Blossom: the warrior was too busy clasping on his resplendent armor and pheasant-tailed helmet in preparation for leading five hundred cavalry to Jingzhou City. The sole intention of this elite force was to retrieve its leader's promised bride and take her to the capital—with or without her father's consent.

After Lu Bu had leapt expertly atop Red Hare's saddle and was leading his troops down the streets of Chang'An, he inevitably noticed the growing crowd that had started gathering at the massive city gates. Irritated at having to deal with this multitude, Lu Bu snarled menacingly, "Out of the way!" while swinging the Sky Scorcher in a downwards arc, as if to bat these people away.

Zhang Liao rode up to his superior officer, explaining somewhat apologetically, "Please forgive these people, General; they have gathered to have their fortunes told by a Taoist priest who's just arrived at the city."

Lu Bu frowned upon hearing this.

"Those peasants dare obstruct my way for a religious quack?" he scoffed loudly.

A burst of thin, reedy cackling materialized from the air at his proud words, causing the warrior to turn his head in the direction of the sound, irate that any soul in this world dared to laugh at the matchless Fengxian. The merry culprit he identified was none other than the Taoist that the people had gathered to see, and as soon as Lu Bu spotted the frail old man, he spurred Red Hare in the latter's direction. Drawing his Sky Scorcher so that its gleaming, wickedly sharp tip was pointing straight at the fortune-teller's withered old neck, he growled menacingly, "You dare laugh at the mighty Lu Bu?"

The frail, aged man looked up at the awe-inspiring warrior with eyes that were calm and free of fear.

"I laugh, Great General, because you yourself—more than any of these humble people gathered here—need know your future before you set out from Chang'An with your army," he answered in a steady voice.

Red Hare circled suspiciously around the old man, while its master kept his halberd pointed at different angles toward his throat.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Lu Bu hissed in an attempt to sound dismissive.

The old Taoist only laughed again.

"I may not know much about the Great General, but I can interpret the signs for his future," he spoke up boldly. "And what I can see of that future is this: Two times in your life you will don your armor and pick up your trident halberd, over two different disputes for two very different girls."

Lu Bu glared down at him suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that, old man?" he challenged in a threatening snarl.

In response, the fortune-teller walked away a few paces, until he had arrived at a suitable patch of dirt. There, using his Taoist's staff, he wrote a few lines on the soft ground below his feet. When he was finished, he simply stepped back and shook out his sleeves, as Lu Bu rode closer and briefly scanned what appeared to be a short poem that the old man had scratched into the ground.

_Beware of the woman who wears her beauty like a mask  
Whose jewel eyes flash faithful adoration  
Whose warm lips spill honeyed oaths  
Hers is a deceitful love  
For she is fond of no one, cold and charismatic mistress  
Whose radiance and treachery will lure men to their ruin_

_Beware of the maiden whose smile lights the skies  
Who laughs and teases with high spirits  
Whose friendly exterior bespeaks an artless temperament  
For hers is a capricious love  
Warm-hearted and affectionate creature  
She loves you? Of course  
Yet remember it's in her nature to love everyone else_

"What sort of nonsense is this?" Lu Bu blustered when he'd finished reading.

But the old Taoist priest was gone, long disappeared into the safe obscurity of the crowds.

Turning to Zhang Liao, Lu Bu fired off furiously, "Hunt down that old lunatic and execute him! I want his head displayed at the city gates by the time I come back with my bride!"

Having said that, he spurred Red Hare and rode off in a blinding storm of dust, intent on retrieving his aforementioned bride.

* * *

Two days later, a frantic servant dashed into the governor's mansion and delivered the news of Lu Bu's march into Jingzhou City. When Lord Xi heard of his future son-in-law's impending arrival, he turned pale and nearly swooned again. Instead, he forced himself to regain his wits and dismiss the messenger.

For several hours, he sat, still and brooding, in a front of a cup of rapidly cooling tea. Finally, he arrived at an abrupt decision. Standing up and calling for his carriage to be hitched, Lord Xi headed for the civic buildings, where he turned in his seal of office and resigned as governor of Jingzhou City.

Then, taking his two remaining daughters, their amah, and a pair of particularly talented handmaids, Lord Xi promptly fled to his remote country estate, never again to set foot in the city he had served so faithfully for all those years.

When Lu Bu stormed into Jingzhou, he inevitably discovered the Xi mansion bare and utterly deserted, its master gone...and with him, the warm-hearted and affectionate girl who was to have been the wife of the mighty warrior.


	4. Chapter Four: Beyond Chang Ban Slope

**Chapter Four: Beyond Chang Ban Slope**

_Eight seasons after the Lu Bu affair, a new warrior comes knocking on the Western Gates._

* * *

_**Tw**__**o Years Later...**_

Darkness settled, and as was their custom, the crickets and cicadas began their usual twilight song. The rapidly approaching dusk found a sight peculiar to the normally undisturbed countryside, for riding atop a tall white horse and bearing both a deadly spear and a harmless baby, was a tall and dashingly handsome general in an armor of silver and blue.

This warrior was none other than Zhao Yun—now dirty, exhausted, and virtually soaked in enemy blood—and the child strapped to his lap was little Liu Chan, heir apparent to the legacy of Shu, whom he'd braved thousands of Wei cavalry and infantry to rescue at Chang Ban Slope.

Past Chang Ban, across innumerable woods and creeks, in the rapidly fading light, rode the Little Dragon of Changshan. Weary and lost, Zhao Yun pushed on through the green-and-gold countryside, trying unsuccessfully to find Liu Bei, Zhang Fei...anybody from Shu, in fact.

The baby bound to his lap suddenly woke up and, like most infants were prone to do, began to cry, its shrill and piercing wails shattering the peaceful quiet of the country twilight. Zhao Yun was forced to slow down his horse, as he untied the cord securing Liu Chan to his armor and tried his best to soothe the baby.

He couldn't help but sigh wearily while struggling through this task, while in his unfamiliar arms, little Liu Chan refused to be comforted and continued to scream. Zhao Yun, looking down with concern at the baby's angry blue face, worried that his lord's sole heir might asphyxiate if it kept wailing inconsolably like this...and then how could he ever face Liu Bei again?

The young Tiger General urged his white horse into a trot, continuing to awkwardly rock Liu Chan in his arms as he held on to his charger with only his knees. The baby kept on howling into his chest, and as Zhao Yun looked bleakly around, he realized that he had no choice but to find some shelter—fast. If it were up to him alone, he'd push on through the night in search of his comrades; however, it was obvious that Liu Chan needed some rest and nourishment.

After what seemed like an eternity spent riding and searching in vain, Zhao Yun finally spotted a welcome sight: a long string of colorful lights at the foot of the low hill he was currently situated on. With renewed hope, he spurred his charger to go faster, swiftly sprinting down the grassy slope until both horse and master had arrived at the front gates of what appeared to be a secluded country house.

A row of multicolored paper lanterns was strung up along the white walls, and from the other side of these, the tops of tall plum and apple trees seemed to peek with languid curiosity at their visitors. Above the arching mahogany gates was the name of the estate, written in bold black characters: Refuge Park. It was a rather appreciated sight.

Zhao Yun dismounted, with Liu Chan in one arm and his steed's reins in the other. Using his relatively freer hand, he picked up the bronze knocker and rapped it against the heavy wooden gates.

"It's the middle of the night; come back tomorrow," a voice spoke up sharply from the other side, somehow managing to keep its femininity amidst its annoyance.

"I'm very sorry for disturbing you this late, Miss," Zhao Yun called back an apology, feeling rather silly to be asking for forgiveness from a pair of smooth red gates, "but I'm afraid I've lost my way, and it's been rather difficult trying to find my friends in the darkness."

"My master hasn't received any guests in more than two years now; you'll just have to find some other family to trouble," the voice shot back in a tone that could only be described as bratty.

"Please, under normal conditions, I wouldn't have troubled your household at all, Miss," Zhao Yun said, beginning to feel desperate as he rocked Liu Chan around. "But I've got a baby with me, and—"

Here, the sound of light footsteps scampered fleetly down the stone path, and one of the tall mahogany gates was cracked open before Zhao Yun could finish. The face that peered suspiciously at him from inside was an admirably pretty one—heart-shaped and dainty, with large bright eyes and a dimple at each side of its rosy mouth.

"You have a baby with you?" the little handmaid asked, looking from Zhao Yun to Liu Chan before settling back on Zhao Yun again. "Well...perhaps we can pack some food for you...But you still can't stay for the night; my master—"

Before she could repeat that her master didn't receive any guests, a quiet but firm voice behind her spoke up admonishingly, "Firelight, is that any way to treat a visitor? I admit I may have been somewhat of a recluse these last couple of years, but I haven't grown so inhospitable that I'll deny lodging to one who has lost his way at night—much less if he has a child with him."

The speaker slowly came forward: a gray-haired man who appeared at first glance to be around sixty or sixty-five, yet still commanded a distinguished presence despite his apparent years and frailty.

However, the elderly gentleman's eyes immediately widened in horror upon sight of the imposing silver-and-blue armor that Zhao Yun was wearing, as well as the tall and bloodied spear he held expertly in his hands. With a strangled gasp, the old man staggered back and away from Zhao Yun, leaning heavily onto his cane for support.

Zhao Yun let his Fierce Dragon drop with a clatter as he joined Firelight in rushing forward and helping the old gentleman steady himself. Said gentleman looked up at Zhao Yun's handsome, dirt-streaked face, and asked with wild fear in both his voice and his eyes, "You're a general! Are you...are you with the army of Lu Bu?"

Zhao Yun hastened to assure him, "Sir, please let me explain. My name is Zhao Yun, and yes, it's true that I'm a general, but the army I belong to is that of the Shu-Han. You have my word that I've never served under Lu Bu."

But the old man still looked afraid, inquiring next, "Then, General Zhao, have you just come back from a battle against Lu Bu?"

Zhao Yun couldn't help but give him a strange look at this question, before proceeding to explain as gently as possible, "Sir...the man you're talking about was executed almost a year ago by Cao Cao, King of Wei, following the Siege of Xiapi. Lu Bu is long dead, his army scattered across the four corners of China."

The old man breathed a sigh of relief, murmuring softly, "Saints preserve us."

It didn't take him too long to regain his composure afterwards, and when he did, he personally led both guest and horse inside. Pretty Firelight closed the gates firmly shut, and Zhao Yun stepped into the isolated country estate that was to be his refuge—his Refuge Park—for that night.


	5. Chapter Five: The Recluse of Refuge Park

**Chapter Five: The Recluse of Chang Ban Slope**

_A grief-stricken father hides his protective instincts behind a façade of hospitality and graciousness._

* * *

The aged gentleman guided Zhao Yun into the main courtyard of his estate, passing numerous green bamboo trees and goldfish ponds along the way. When the two had arrived at the main house, the old man paused and called out, "Yinchun!"

Moments later, a pretty young handmaid in lavender and pearls emerged from its interiors, and her master instructed her to attend to their honored guest.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly burden her like this," Zhao Yun protested, embarrassed at creating extra work for the household.

Before he could string together another sentence, however, the efficient Yinchun had smiled off his flustered words and deftly helped him out of his grimy armor. With the heavy metal suit in hand, she then set off to get it cleaned.

"Com here, Firelight." The lord of the estate now beckoned at the feisty little handmaid who'd matched words with Zhao Yun earlier.

Firelight came forward, and her master began to order of her, "Firelight, take the baby and—" Before he could finish, Zhao Yun quickly interrupted.

"It's all right," the young Tiger General insisted. "I should be the one to take care of Liu Chan; there's no need to trouble her with him."

Firelight made an indignant little "Hn!" from the back of her throat, rolling her eyes at Zhao Yun while demanding impudently, "Oh, so the great General Zhao is scared that I'm unqualified for attending to that rugrat?"

"Firelight, watch your mouth," her master reproved sternly, while Zhao Yun hastened to explain, "No, it's not that at all. Liu Chan is the only son of my lord, Liu Bei the founder of Shu, and as I am an officer of that kingdom, it's my duty to protect the little prince. Please don't be offended, Miss...Firelight, is it?"

After a deep silence, his host reluctantly acquiesced. Turning to Firelight, he said, "In that case, hurry inside and set out some supper for General Zhao."

As one handmaid was setting off, another one returned, for Yinchun now came back, balancing a bronze basin of water and a towel. At his host's benevolent nod, Zhao Yun proceeded to wash his hands and wipe his face clean, turning a little red as he realized how rough and dirty he must look to these genteel and impeccably-dressed civilians.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly scrubbed Liu Chan as well—it wouldn't look right for the Shu kingdom to have its future ruler debut to the public wailing and dirt-streaked.

Afterwards, host and guest continued inside the house and headed toward its dining room, where Firelight was just finishing setting the table. She acknowledged her master's thanks with a courteous movement of her head, then retreated (but not before impertinently wrinkling her nose at Zhao Yun one last time).

The two men sat down at the table, and the gentleman invited the warrior to dine with a graciousness which hinted of parties he'd presided over and guests he'd entertained in years long passed. As the old man poured some hot plum wine for Zhao Yun, he began to apologize about his earlier line of bizarre questioning, despite the latter's protests that there was no need.

"You see," the old man revealed with a sad half-smile, as though he needed to unburden himself of secrets carried for too long, "three years ago, I'm afraid I dealt an unpardonable insult to General Lu Bu. I have been in hiding ever since."

He paused reflectively, musing out loud, "If I'd known that General Lu were no longer a merciless sword hanging above my head...But, after all, we hardly receive any news here in the semi-wilderness."

He then gave a bitter laugh, before uttering these surprising words: "And, perhaps I do deserve this"—with a sweep toward his surroundings—"as punishment for doing what I did to Fengxian."

Zhao Yun's curiosity was piqued as to how this kindly old gentleman could have so insulted Lu Bu that he'd have reason to fear for his life. However, the young warrior was too polite to ask, choosing to focus instead on spooning the sweetened sorghum meal, which substituted for mother's milk, into Liu Chan's mouth.

His host, on the other hand, seemed to recognize the look of subtle curiosity on his face. After picking up a pair of ivory chopsticks and using these to gather some strips of beef, redolent with warm spices, and deposit them into his guest's bowl, the old man proceeded to explain.

"Three years ago, I promised one of my daughters to Lu Bu as wife," he disclosed quietly. "For reasons which I'd rather not remember, I later found that match to be a misalliance, and did my best to delay the wedding. When an angry Lu Bu came to demand his bride, I took my family and fled here to the country."

He stopped, and looked up at Zhao Yun before confiding bitterly, "Until your arrival tonight, General Zhao, I have been living in constant terror that someday, Lu Bu will come and take my little girl away."

"You did the right thing by keeping your daughter away from Lu Bu, sir," Zhao Yun reassured the old man.

He then proceeded to tell his host about the beautiful songstress Diao Chan, and her master Wang Yun's Chain-Link Plot, which had torn father and son apart and ultimately led both men to their ruin.

The old host laughed mirthlessly, before pouring some more wine for Zhao Yun and remarking, "If only this Diao Chan had become involved with Fengxian a year earlier, I would've been able to sleep more soundly at night these last three years."

Seeing that Zhao Yun had finished eating, he stood up and began to call out, "Firelight, hurry and bring some tea for the general."

Here, Zhao Yun stopped him, standing up and declaring, "Sir, I can't trouble you or your household any more than I already have."

"It won't be any trouble at all, General," the old man insisted; however, his guest was equally determined to be as little of a burden as possible, so that when Firelight arrived, her master hesitantly waved her away.

After that handmaid left, the old man stood up as well and began leading his guest to an unoccupied apartment, so that the latter might spend the night there. As the two walked down a hallway, they gradually passed a series of four scrolls, each bearing a delicately-painted portrait of a lovely young girl.

The most exquisite of the four was holding a pale pink lotus flower in her hands, while a second beauty was reading a book of poetry by moonlight. The next girl was painted laughingly chasing after a cloud of red _mei(1)_ blossoms being blown by the wind, and the youngest of the quartet, barely a teenager, stood proudly wielding twin swords in an expert pose.

"Whom might these girls be?" Zhao Yun, quite charmed by the scrolls of four young beauties, asked his host.

The old man coughed and looked away, and would only say, "They're of no importance. Just some paintings I bought from a village peddler several years ago."

Zhao Yun, however, could tell that his host wasn't telling the whole truth here: For one thing, the scrolls were too finely painted, each brush stroke too perfect, to have been done by a mere village peddler. These portraits were the works of a talented professional artist, hired especially to paint the four girls' pictures.

For another, the models' names, written in flowing calligraphy on their scrolls, revealed that all four shared a common family name—Xi.

If Zhao Yun had to make a guess, he'd say that these girls were the daughters of his reclusive host...and one, among them, was to have been wedded to Lu Bu.

But the old man obviously didn't want to admit to this, and Zhao Yun was too polite to press him.

Soon, they reached the back doors of the main house, where Yinchun was already waiting for the two, holding a sunflower-shaped paper lantern to light their path. The group headed for the adjacent courtyard, Yinchun walking a few steps in front to illuminate the way, and they soon reached the apartment where Zhao Yun was to be staying for the night.

The old man bent down in a bow.

"I hope you will find our accommodations suitable, General Zhao," he murmured courteously, as Yinchun opened the doors and pushed aside the peacock-blue silk portieres.

Zhao Yun stood in the doorway, and turned around to thank his host for his hospitality, before retiring for the night at the old man's insistence.

That one walked down the steps, apparently heading for his own courts. A final glance over his shoulders revealed Zhao Yun slowly rocking Liu Chan in his arms while searching for a suitable crib. The old man briefly observed this, before turning and heading away.

He had already made significant progress down the willow-lined stone path, when he suddenly paused. Turning to Yinchun, he asked the young handmaid, "Yinchun, where is Amah?"

"Amah is sewing in Miss Xi Tian's court, my lord," she promptly replied.

Hearing this, the old man nodded to himself, before dismissing Yinchun with a wave of his hand.

"Take the lantern with you. I trust I can still find my way around my own property," he added.

Yinchun nodded and obediently left, taking the sunflower lantern with her.

Her aged master headed off in the opposite direction, before arriving at a courtyard bathed in pale moonlight. He stepped up to the charmingly-designed house set amidst frothy dogwood trees and orchid beds, and rapped twice on the mahogany doors.

These were immediately opened by a stout old woman in her early sixties—the devoted amah of the four Xi girls, who'd raised them ever since their mother had passed away, and whom everybody called by her title in the household. When the old man stepped inside, the startled Amah immediately set her sewing aside and greeted him: "Lord Xi!"

Xi Wen Qing, grown suddenly old under a heavy load of misery in the years since his third daughter's disastrous engagement to Lu Bu, held up one hand to stop Amah from hurrying off to fetch him some tea, and instead asked softly, "Has Miss Xi Tian seen General Zhao yet?"

The girl's nurse promptly replied in the negative, at which Lord Xi exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.

"One thing I've learned from that mishap with Lu Bu," he murmured darkly, "is that I'll never stand for my little girl meeting another warrior again, and have the brute decide she'll make a fine wife or concubine."

His fear was not unfounded, for pretty Xi Tian was now the only child he had left. Her younger sister, Xi Ai, had set out that winter after a band of river pirates who'd made off with the family's heirlooms...and that was the last her father had seen of her. Naturally, the bereaved Lord Xi was now dead-set on protecting his one remaining daughter from the world itself.

"Amah." He beckoned the faithful old nurse closer, and dictated some secret instructions, at which she nodded understandingly.

With this task done, Lord Xi picked up a lantern at the doorway, sweeping a pained look at the bed upon which Xi Tian slept. He then left, as silent and inconspicuous as a shadow in the night.

* * *

_1. Plum._


	6. Chapter Six: Xi Tian

**Chapter Six: Xi Tian**

_Capricious Love re-emerges after being hidden away for two years behind a veil of country peace._

* * *

At Lord Xi's country estate, the innermost courtyards were reserved for his daughters. In one such court, abundant in exotic flowers and goldfish ponds, stood a charming set of apartments, decorated with silks and mahoganies. Inside these towered the redoubtable Amah, arms crossed over her chest as she supervised the household's handmaids.

Those two stood armed with what appeared to be a very plain servant's outfit: Yinchun was holding a simple robe of coarse white hemp cloth and a matching pair of girl's pants, while Firelight stood with a pattern-less scarlet sash, a pair of rather unfashionable red slippers, and some hair ribbons.

Together, the three women were clustered around a fourth female, apparently trying to convince her to put on the homely serving girl's outfit. To their wrangling, however, she only set up an endless string of loud protests and obstinate refusals.

This difficult young mistress was the recently-turned-nineteen Xi Tian, as charmingly pretty as ever but still every bit as frivolous as she'd been as a girl of two and eight. After seeing that it was useless to try to shoo away her attendants, she pouted and began unleashing yet more complaints about having to dress up as a humble servant.

"But it's so coarse and hideous," Xi Tian griped in a rather unladylike whine, plucking at one long sleeve with her nose wrinkled in unconcealed distaste. "And the stark white color is just ghastly—it makes me look like I'm in mourning!"_(1)_

"Miss Xi Tian, these were the direct instructions of your father. And don't go making faces at me; how many times have I told you, young misses do not prattle around distorting their features like that," Amah declared sternly. "Now, General Zhao shouldn't be staying for much longer, but last night he'd already expressed interest in the portraits of you and your sisters, so stop trying to waste time and put these on. Lord Xi is not about to risk having another warrior catch sight of you and decide to take you for his bride."

Xi Tian frowned upon hearing this.

"I don't like those portraits—the artist clearly favored Lien _Jie Jie(2),_ and made her so much more beautiful than all the rest of us," she digressed off-topic, absently wandering over to a mirror and beginning to brush her long, inky hair.

"If a chance encounter should ever occur between my Young Miss and this Zhao Yun," Amah continued as if she hadn't been interrupted at all, before digressing off-topic herself and adding dryly, "And knowing your curiosity, Miss Xi Tian, you'll certainly arrange an 'accidental' meeting or two with the general, just for the sake of seeing whether he's handsome or not."

Here, Xi Tian had the grace to blush at the unflatteringly candid portrayal of her personality, before giving an annoyed little huff and partially hiding her face behind her painted and faintly perfumed sandalwood fan.

"As I was saying, if a chance encounter between you two should ever occur, Lord Xi wants to ensure that General Zhao will see you as a mere humble maid, and nothing more," Amah finished firmly.

Xi Tian frowned and parted her lips, obviously with a reply or excuse ready. Before she could utter a single word, though, Amah impatiently reminded her, "Vain child, you only have to dress as a servant for today!"

There was a long pause. Finally, with a sigh and an upturned nose, Xi Tian reluctantly trudged over to Yinchun and Firelight, grabbed the folded outfit they were holding, and stomped behind an elaborate screen to change.

* * *

Inside the guest court, Zhao Yun was preparing to set out once again in search of his comrades. He donned his armor and wrapped the still-sleeping Liu Chan in his fighting robe, managing to take all but two steps before he heard a large commotion outside.

Zhao Yun reacted on instinct. He set the baby down on a satiny nest of pillows, then broke into an easy sprint toward the source of the noise—the front gates of Refuge Park.

Once there, he found to his great bewilderment a horde of country bandits armed with cheap-quality _daos(3)_ and long metal rakes. The robbers made much noise as they clambered over the walls, trampling over soft rose beds and brandishing their poor weapons about, almost as if daring the household—a frail and bent old man and a couple of young girls—to try and fend them off. Two such overconfident lowlifes were already making the mistake of trying to steal Zhao Yun's own white horse.

With a cry, Zhao Yun dived into the fighting, his Fierce Dragon spear a whirlwind of flashing metal and silky blue tassels as he effortlessly beat the bandits back. Yet even though their blood flew in crimson spurts, splattering Zhao Yun's silver-and-blue armor and staining it a deep shade of burgundy, not a single one of the robbers was actually slain. The young warrior took care not to kill any of them, due to not wishing to burden his host with the gruesome task of having to dispose of a dozen or so bloody corpses.

It didn't take long for the last of the ruffian crew to flee, scrambling up a tall gingko tree and vaulting over the wall in terror.

The few seconds of stark silence that followed his escape were soon shattered, however, by the crisp sound of an ink stone falling to the ground and breaking into pieces.

Zhao Yun turned around, and was surprised to see that he now had an audience: Lord Xi was standing beneath an arch of climbing grape vines, a stunned look on his ashen face, his still-wet calligraphy brush locked in his fingers.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Xi Tian's court, Yinchun and Firelight were almost finished with plaiting their young mistress's luxuriant raven hair into two buns, one at each side of her head. Amah supervised the process, occasionally hollering at the handmaids that Xi Tian still looked too pretty.

"No! No flowers!" the old nurse snapped authoritatively, snatching the clusters of orange blossoms out of Yinchun's hands just as she was about to tuck them into her mistress's hair. Hearing this, Xi Tian promptly made an irritable silly face at Amah behind the larger woman's back.

Suddenly, loud noises of fighting—shouts and cries, metal clashing against metal, and the inevitable sounds of bodies smacking against hard and unforgiving objects—erupted from the direction of the front gate. Nurse, handmaids, and mistress all started in alarm at the cacophony, exchanging looks of confusion tinged with mild fear.

Then, Xi Tian unexpectedly took charge.

"Yinchun, Firelight, go outside and find out what's going on," she sent her attendants off. "You too, Amah."

The two handmaids left without putting up much of a protest. Amah, on the other hand, was a different story. Reluctant to leave her charge all by herself, she placed her hands firmly on her hips and declared, "I can't leave my Young Miss alone when Heaven knows what's going on at the front gates."

"Please go with the others?" Xi Tian implored meekly.

Amah shot her a suspicious look.

"Just why are you so impatient to get me out of the way, Miss Xi Tian?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing into slits as she peered sharply at the young girl, who suddenly seemed too interested in examining her painted fan to look into Amah's face.

"I don't trust how well Yinchun or Firelight will handle the situation," Xi Tian improvised confidentially. "That's why you'll be needed there—to supervise those two."

After much cajoling and pleading, Amah finally and very hesitantly retired as well.

As soon as she'd inveigled all of her attendants out of the way, Xi Tian nearly broke her neck diving for the nearest mirror. Her features immediately contorted into a rather comical expression of horror and wounded vanity upon seeing the plain—far too plain—image which stared back at her.

"Oh!" she groaned, before deciding that she needed to see the full extent of the damage that Amah had created.

With a frown creased into her forehead, she gathered up her plain white hemp robes and hurried outside. There, at the closest lily brook, Xi Tian leaned over the clear green water and peered anxiously at her full-length reflection amidst the spiral ripples.

* * *

Back at the front courtyard, Zhao Yun was trying to get the deeply bowing Lord Xi to his feet as the latter thanked him, with tears in his eyes, for chasing away the country bandits. The embarrassed Tiger General managed to only awkwardly clear his throat, wondering how a man could acknowledge one whose life and household he'd just saved without sounding too boastful.

Fortunately, the young warrior was disentangled from this predicament—by Firelight, no less—when the aforementioned household's three attendants arrived.

_"Aiya!_ You thug, what did you just do?" the sharp-tongued little maid shrieked at Zhao Yun upon sighting all the blood and Lord Xi's tears.

Zhao Yun flushed faintly at this accusation, helplessly trying to find the words with which to defend himself under Firelight's condemning glare.

His host beat him to it, though, when Lord Xi himself chastised harshly while dabbing away his tears, "That's enough, Firelight! After all these years in my household, you ought to have better manners than to shout at the man who just saved our lives today!"

Firelight elapsed into sullen silence under the severity of her master's words, while Lord Xi turned to the sweeter-tempered of his two handmaids and ordered, "Yinchun, take General Zhao's armor and clean the blood off of it."

Gentle Yinchun was unable to conceal a look of utter nausea at the sight of the still-fresh blood, hiding delicately behind the stout form of Amah when her master's expectant look fell upon her. Seeing this, Zhao Yun couldn't help but chuckle, for he wasn't terribly unused to the girl's rather squeamish reaction.

"There's no need to trouble Miss Yinchun, sir. Thank you very much for your hospitality last night; I apologize for any burdens I might have created," he told Lord Xi sincerely.

"I should be thanking you, General, for saving my home," came the prompt reply.

"Nevertheless, let me trouble you no more. I'll just go get Liu Chan now, and we'll be leaving," Zhao Yun answered.

"Let Yinchun get him for you, General Zhao," Lord Xi offered, motioning for the handmaid to be on her way.

"That's quite all right; I'm sure Miss Yinchun has better things to do," Zhao Yun replied.

Having thus spoken, he excused himself with a bow to all those present, before turning on his heels and heading for the inner courts.

* * *

Xi Tian was still lingering outside, having been momentarily distracted from how plain she looked by an exceptionally beautiful orchid. Hearing the commotion at the front gates die away, she realized that Amah would return any minute now, and reluctantly began heading inside.

Unexpectedly, however, she collided with a young man taking a shortcut across the winding inner courtyards. Xi Tian was startled, and somewhat annoyed—at first. Then, she noticed the intruder's tall, wickedly sharp spear and his gleaming, bloodstained armor...and proceeded to let out an ear-splitting shriek right into his face.

* * *

_1. Traditionally in China, the color of mourning was white._

_2. Elder sister_

_3. Chinese broadsword_


	7. Chapter Seven: The Handmaid Orchid

**Chapter Seven: The Handmaid Orchid**

_A unique predicament results in the first meeting between a warrior and an ingénue._

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Poor Zhao Yun winced and rubbed at his shattered eardrums, briefly wondering whether, before that morning, he'd ever created such an unfavorable reaction in the opposite sex. He quickly dismissed this thought as too trivial to take up any more of his attention, and returned to the more urgent matter at hand.

Putting on what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Zhao Yun murmured soothingly, "Please don't be frightened, Miss. I'm not going to hurt you." The girl in white standing before him seemed to calm down. At the very least, she stopped screaming. Yet her eyes were still wide, as she timidly pointed at a spot behind Zhao Yun's head and asked in a tiny, helpless voice, "But what of that man behind you?" Puzzled, Zhao Yun frowned and wondered out loud, "Who?" while turning. He saw no one, and realized that he'd just been tricked. 

Swiftly whirling back around, he saw that the girl was already disappearing down the stone path in a flurry of white hemp and trailing scarlet.

* * *

Xi Tian scrambled across the courtyard like a madwoman, careening blindly past silver brooks and golden gingko branches. _What is an armored warrior, with blood still fresh on his clothes, doing here?_ her mind screamed in confusion as she sprinted down the stone path. _Still, he _is_ extraordinarily handsome for a homicidal type,_ she mused with a silly smile...and nearly smacked face-first into a towering pear tree as a result of her distraction.

"Ow," she grumbled painfully, almost getting pelted on the head by the handful of green pears that dropped down following her encounter with the trunk. Clutching her nose, Xi Tian circled around the obstacle and continued her aimless flight.

So determined upon escape was she, that she barely avoided crashing into another obstacle seconds later. However, there was no circling around the tall, solid wall which blocked her way like there had been with the pear tree. The only gate leading outside was a small, red-framed entrance carved out of the whitewashed brick...about two-thirds her size.

She stopped, and groaned in dismay. The pint-sized gate had been made specifically for her then-twelve-year-old younger sister, Xi Ai, when the family had first moved into this country estate a couple of years ago. There was no way the nineteen-year-old Xi Tian could possibly fit through that small and narrow entrance now.

Soft gold eyes widened in alarm at the heavy sounds of clanking armor not far behind. Xi Tian fretted at the realization that the spear-wielding stranger must still be after her—and here she was, trapped before a solid white wall with only a puny hole as her sole escape route. Unless...

Perhaps, if she got down on her hands and knees, and sort of shifted her body sideways, she just might be able to squeeze her way out...

No good. Xi Tian hadn't realized until then just how petite her younger sister had been. Now, she found herself unfortunately lodged halfway out of the child-sized gate—and in a rather unflattering position, no less.

At that moment, Zhao Yun emerged from behind a billowing curtain of weeping willows. Walking over to the still-stuck Xi Tian, he set his Fierce Dragon against the wall to plainly show that he meant no harm. Then, kneeling down to match her height, he gently tugged the humiliated girl free from the red gate.

"Please, don't be frightened," he murmured softly, brushing some tiny flecks of paint off her raven hair. "I'm Zhao Yun of Changshan."

Introducing himself must have made some progress with the girl, for she tore her gaze away from the gruesome bloodstains on his armor and actually made brief eye contact with him. Feeling reassured that he must be doing something right, Zhao Yun continued on.

"I'm afraid I lost my way in the wilderness around Chang Ban Slope last night, and the master of this house was kind enough to give me a night's lodging," he told her, feeling compelled to explain his presence. "You have nothing to fear from me; I would never hurt you, Miss...?"

Here, his voice trailed off questioningly. Xi Tian lifted her head to meet his kind brown eyes, then quickly dropped her gaze to the ground, feigning timidity to buy herself some time to think. Somehow, she managed to recall the reason her father had her dressed up as the plainest of handmaids in the first place, so she decided to lie about her true identity.

"They call me...they call me Orchid—" name derived from one quick glance at her surroundings—"because I tend to the flower gardens here. I have no proper name, for...for I am an orphan," she replied unthinkingly.

First Firelight, and now Orchid? Privately, Zhao Yun wondered who was naming the handmaids in this household. Yet his compassionate expression bespoke the fact that he also felt rather sorry for the so-called orphan standing before him.

This softening on his part emboldened Xi Tian as to the success of her charade, and she raised her head to see just how handsome Zhao Yun was up close. However, her movement also gave the latter a clear, frontal view of her own features as well.

Something about Xi Tian's face struck a chord of familiarity in Zhao Yun, so that he frowned thoughtfully and wondered out loud, "Have we met before?"

Xi Tian froze and immediately turned her face sideways, frantically bringing up one white sleeve to her cheeks in an effort to hide her features as best she could.

"Of course not. Why would you say that, General Zhao?" she squeaked out.

Zhao Yun could only shake his head and reply vaguely, "I don't know, really...It's just that I feel like I've seen you before."

His words only caused Xi Tian to blush and dip her head to further hide her face, and this was how Lord Xi and Yinchun, the latter carrying baby Liu Chan in her arms, found the pair minutes later.

Seeing that his warrior guest had, indeed, discovered Xi Tian like he'd feared, Lord Xi spoke up tensely, "Ah, General Zhao, I see you've met the little handmaid..."

His daughter lifted her head upon recognizing his voice, before quickly supplying him with her false name.

"Orchid," she spoke up, with a slight yet meaningful tilt of one charcoal eyebrow.

Lord Xi nodded understandingly, before turning to Zhao Yun and improvising, "Of course. The little handmaid Orchid. You see, she wasn't here last night, because she, ah, just came back early this morning from a visit to her ailing old mother."

Hearing this, the Tiger General gave a small, puzzled frown. Xi Tian caught sight of his confused look, and quickly amended, "My adopted mother," by way of clarification, as she remembered what she'd just told Zhao Yun about herself being an orphan.

With a well-practiced curtsey in the warrior's direction, she then apologized sweetly, "I hope you'll forgive me, General Zhao, for not being here last night to welcome you."

Zhao Yun smiled down kindly at her bowed head, before reaching over and helping her up.

"There's no need for any apologies, Miss Orchid," he insisted chivalrously.

Xi Tian offered a bright smile back, knowingly deepening the dimples at each side of her mouth. Her father observed this interaction between the couple with growing alarm. Quickly clearing his throat, Lord Xi spoke up a bit too loudly, "Ah, Yinchun, go fetch some water so that General Zhao may wash off his armor."

His strategy worked. Zhao Yun hastily let go of Xi Tian and turned to his host.

"That won't be necessary," he reassured the old man. Glancing at a nearby sundial and noting the time, the youthful warrior added, "I really should be getting back to the road now."

As Zhao Yun walked over to Yinchun so that Liu Chan might be transferred to his own arms, Xi Tian cheerfully volunteered, "I can accompany General Zhao to the front gate."

"Nonsense, child," her father hastily declared. "It's really the host's duty."

And with that, he swiftly escorted the Tiger General away, before his daughter could say another word.

* * *

After Lord Xi had seen Zhao Yun off, he slowly returned to his house and shut the front gates. On his way to his study, he passed a handmaid in the hallway.

"Firelight, what's Miss Xi Tian doing right now?" he asked.

"She's changing," came the prompt reply.

Lord Xi chuckled fondly at this report, before seating himself down at his desk. Picking up a new brush and dipping it in freshly-ground black ink, the former politician occupied himself with finishing the letter he'd been writing prior to the bandit attack.


	8. Chapter Eight: Across the Chang Jiang

**Chapter Eight: Across the Chang Jiang**

_With the threat of a million-men invasion looming on the horizon, two former rivals are forced into an alliance._

* * *

In the Wei kingdom, Cao Cao's preparations were almost complete to launch his large-scale invasion of the South Land. The shrewd and charismatic leader was currently sitting in his private library, with a letter spread out on the low desk before him and a small group of advisors standing behind his chair.

Cao Cao had just finished reading the last lines of his letter, when a courier came dashing in. Quickly kneeling down, the young man proceeded to report breathlessly, "My lord, Liu Xuande has just led the forces of Shu-Han across the Chang Jiang to meet with the Sun Clan of East Wu!"

The reaction this evoked was hardly what most people would have anticipated: Cao Cao set down his letter upon hearing the news, gave a rather contemptuous snort, and declared while absently stroking his goatee, "Wu and Shu allying with each other to defeat my Wei kingdom are as two mongrels joining forces to bring down the mighty phoenix. Think you that I and my million-men army fear the likes of those two?"

And he laughed dismissively.

However, Sima Yi, standing to one side of him, frowned upon hearing this surprisingly careless and arrogant remark.

"Sir, is it truly wise to dismiss the Wu-Shu alliance like this?" he respectfully reminded his lord.

Without deigning to even turn around, Cao Cao coolly explained that, "Sun Jian of Wu is nothing more than an overglorified general. He is an able enough leader in the battlefield, but hardly an able leader of men."

Cao Cao folded up his letter, and reached for his teacup. After taking a sip of the steaming dark liquid, he went on.

"As for that weaver of straw mats, Liu Bei—I'll be the first to admit that he is one of the few true heroes in this vast land. However, he has but three generals, two strategists—one of them a woman, no less—and a mere handful of troops, and these he calls his Army of the Shu-Han? The man and his soldiers are nothing more than a pack of homeless dogs!"

And with these confident words, Cao Cao dismissed the messenger, while his advisors echoed amongst themselves that their Lord Mengde indeed had a Heaven-granted gift for analyzing both people and situations.

Only Sima Yi was silent. A worried frown found its way to his features, as he considered whether Cao Cao's confidence could be leading Wei to disaster.

* * *

Across the Chang Jiang, inside a large tent that had been hastily set up for the newly-arrived Shu officers, Liu Bei was sitting in front of a low wooden desk bearing a worn copy of Sun Tzu's_The Art of War. _The book was unopened, however, while the leader of Shu tiredly listened to his Third Brother Zhang Fei rage and bluster at the recent rumors that the Sun Clan was considering surrendering to Cao Cao.

"Give me three hundred soldiers dressed as Wei troops, and I'll lead them in a night raid—no, day raid!—of Wu's camps; then we'll see if that coward Sun Jian still wants to surrender to that son of a eunuch!" Zhang Fei bellowed ferociously, waving his Serpent Spear wildly about as he threatened to storm out and follow through with his half-baked plan.

Zhao Yun, desperately trying to hold back the taller and stronger warrior, only succeeded in narrowly escaping decapitation—on several occasions, no less—by that swinging weapon.

It was obvious that he wasn't going to get any help in restraining the bullheaded Zhang Fei from the latter's Second Brother. Tall and noble Guan Yu was sitting stoically on a hard-backed couch, his powerful arms crossed over his magnificent black beard. Only the thick, dark brows slanted sharply in a downward arc gave away the fact that he, too, was seething over the possibility of Wu's surrender; otherwise, Guan Yu presented a flawless picture of the great and dignified warlord.

Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying were seated across from the venerable, green-clad general. The former was calmly swishing his white swan-feather fan back and forth, as if the possible surrender of Shu's greatest ally bothered him not in the least bit. His wife, on the other hand, was visibly concerned over the issue, and would occasionally dart him brief, curious looks. Zhuge Liang kept silent, and the only indication that a plan had already formed in that brilliant mind were the traces of an enigmatic half-smile which would occasionally flash across his face.

In contrast, Liu Bei was hardly as relaxed as his genius advisor. Listening to Zhang Fei bawl and rumble and threaten to firebomb Sun Jian's palace, the virtuous leader of Shu began to feel a pounding headache flare up at his temples. The pain spread to his skull, building up beneath the thunder of Zhang Fei's voice, until Liu Bei finally snapped in an irritable tone, "Third Brother!"

Miraculously, Zhang Fei stopped in mid-tirade, and as all eyes in the room then turned to Liu Bei, the latter admonished severely, "Setting our ally's house on fire is no way to motivate him to fight—unless it's _us_ that you're trying to get him to fight against!"

The normally brash and hot-tempered Zhang Fei relapsed into abashed silence at his Elder Brother's reprimand.

And then, Zhuge Liang stopped fanning himself and stood up.

Turning to the worried-looking Liu Bei, he announced reassuringly, "Do not worry, my lord. If you can secure for me an audience with the officers of Wu, I'll be sure to steer them onto the right path."

* * *

Inside the main hall of the Wu Palace, Sun Jian and his court were holding a final meeting to decide whether to fight to the death against Wei...or surrender to that larger and more powerful kingdom. The generals were still for fighting, the ministers were still for peacefully surrendering, and Sun Jian and his top strategist, Zhou Yu, were still undecided. However, their thoughtful expressions betrayed the fact that they were at least considering a possible surrender.

At that moment, a servant arrived, bowed low, and announced, "My lord, the Prime Minister of Shu, Zhuge Kongming, has arrived."

With a distracted wave of his hand, Sun Jian beckoned that he be ushered in.

After Zhuge Liang had presented himself before the Wu officers and had finished making the proper obeisance, Sun Jian asked him with a wry smile, "Mr. Zhuge, you're not here to make my decision any more difficult than it already is, are you?"

To this, Zhuge Liang replied with ease, "In point of fact, Lord Sun, I'm here to propose a strategy which will repel Cao Cao's million-person army using only two persons."

"Oh?"

Naturally, everybody's curiosity was piqued by that remarkable announcement, as wave after wave of excited murmurs rippled across the ranks.

Sun Jian sternly held up his hand for silence, and entreated, "Continue, please."

Zhuge Liang gave a little smile, and began pacing languidly back and forth while revealing, "From what I've heard, there exist two renowned beauties in the South Land, said to be so lovely that even the flowers and the moon are shamed by them. Cao Cao, as is evident by his recent completion of the Bronze Bird Tower, is quite devoted to collecting beautiful women from all four corners of China. Wu need only send these two girls across the Chang Jiang and present them as a peace offering to Wei; Cao Cao will be so grateful that he'll no longer have the desire to wage war against the South. A small price to pay, wouldn't you agree?—these two girls for the lives of millions."

Zhou Yu, who'd been listening to Zhuge Liang's rather nonchalant proposal with a growing scowl of suspicion on his face, now spoke up tensely, "And whom, sir, would these two beauties be?"

Zhuge Liang turned to the Wu strategist and general, replying graciously, "One of the two is supposed to be so famous for her beauty that her mere family name is enough to assert her reputation. As she is the younger of a pair of sisters, the people call her Xiao Qiao."

Zhou Yu's face turned white at the name, then bright red.

Pounding his fist on his desk, he leapt up in a fury, overthrowing his chair in the process, and almost howled, "What!"

Hearing the name and seeing the anger it evoked, his best friend and sworn brother, Sun Ce, whooped in a tone that could almost be described as obnoxious.

Until, that is, Zhuge Liang turned to the first prince of Wu and smoothly added, "As Xiao Qiao is one of the two beauties Cao Cao's after, I'm sure everybody here has already figured out that the other girl can be none other than her elder sister, Da Qiao."

Sun Ce's laughter abruptly died down.

The prince himself now leapt up in outrage, letting out an indignant squawk of, _"What_ did you just say?"

Turning to his father, he proceeded to whine, "Pop, you're not going to take my wife away, are you?"

Then, as if realizing how much like a pouting child he sounded, Sun Ce blushed a bit, and coughed while mumbling, "Um...I mean, my lord, we can't let Cao Cao insult the South's women by locking them up in some bronze birdcage!"

Zhou Yu also spoke up.

Turning to Sun Jian, he declared firmly, "My lord, history will forever remember us as cowards without any pride or honor if we just surrender without a fight to that rebel Cao Cao."

Upon his words, the rest of the Wu generals also set up a cry demanding to fight the onslaught of Wei troops, overpowering the pleas for peace of the civil ministers.

Sun Jian leaned back in his seat and held up his hands. He swept a look toward his bristling eldest son and Zhou Yu, then at his enthusiastic generals, before finally coming to a rest on Zhuge Liang's figure.

"Well," he remarked dryly, "I think my decision has already been made for me!"


	9. Chapter Nine: Setting the Stage for an E...

**Chapter Nine: Setting the Stage for an Epic Battle**

_As the days trickle by, both sides struggle with last-minute command decisions in their amibitious quests to conquer Tian Xia(1)_

* * *

Hearing of Sun Jian's decision to join forces with Liu Bei and thus present a united Wu-Shu front against Wei's million-men army, Cao Cao swiftly set up camp on the northern shores of the Chang Jiang. From there, both sides could almost see across the massive river to the enemy's formation, as all three of Wei, Wu, and Shu readied their forces for a large-scale battle.

A couple of weeks after his arrival at the combat site, Cao Cao and some of his top generals could be seen riding around the Wei base camp and surveying their army. As Cao Cao took in the sights with a sweeping glance, he noted with unconcealed satisfaction how grand his troops looked, armors gleaming and weapons reflecting the glint of the sun.

Proud and war-hungry, the infantrymen marched in perfect formation while chanting in unison, "First we'll defeat the South! Then we'll conquer the world! First we'll defeat the South! Then we'll conquer the world!" over and over to the accompaniment of rolling drums and blaring trumpets.

* * *

Across the river, Sun Jian and his two sons listened in disgust to the great noise and din raised by the Wei soldiers, as in the background, their own troops trained and marched.

"Hah! We'll prove to them that the largest army doesn't always win the war!" a spirited, feminine voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

Three male Suns turned around as one, six dark eyes zoomed in on the solitary figure of a slender, medium-height girl with short russet hair and peaches-and-cream skin. Dressed in maroon and gold, and holding one finely polished Sol Chakram in each hand, she cut a picture of a seasoned fighter despite her apparent youth, which placed her at no older than two and nine.

"_We?"_ Sun Jian echoed questioningly, lifting one eyebrow in his daughter's direction. "Shang Xiang, I was under the impression that you would stay behind the battle lines this time."

Hearing those words, eighteen-year-old Sun Shang Xiang almost heaved her chakrams onto the ground in frustration (dangerously close to Sun Ce's left foot, unfortunately!)

"Stay _behind!"_ she demanded in a voice that would have been called a screech in anyone less attractive. "What am I supposed to do, prance about the palace gardens and look at all the pretty flowers while the fate of the whole South is depending on this one battle?"

A pained expression flickered across her father's face, so that he extended both arms in the universal gesture of helplessness.

"I'm sorry, Shang Xiang, but I have to be firm this time," he replied, at once gentle and stern. "The odds are too heavily in Wei's favor; it's simply far too dangerous for me to let my only daughter—my little girl—run out and fight against a million-men army."

Dark thunderclouds gathered in Sun Shang Xiang's eyes upon hearing her father's words. At first she appeared ready to scream and rage, then for a while she looked like she was going to debate with him, before seeming to consider whether cajoles and pleas might do the trick.

In the end, however, she chose none of those three reactions, only giving an irate huff of, "When will I ever stop being too little?"

Having thus spoken, the princess of Wu then spun on her heels and stormed off.

A brief silence settled amongst her kinsmen, until Sun Quan broke it by remarking dryly, "That went better than I'd expected."

His older brother nodded.

"Yeah, I thought for sure she was going to chuck one of those chakrams at us," Sun Ce wisecracked.

* * *

Across the river, Cao Cao and his little entourage had almost concluded their tour of the army. The final stop happened to be at the docks, where the Wei Armada was stationed.

Here, the sight that met their eyes was far less pleasing.

The land troops of the North, unaccustomed to fighting on water but forced into naval drilling out of necessity, made a pitiful picture. They staggered and tottered dizzily about in time with the ships' swaying, and some even lost their balance in mid-training, plopping into the lurching waters and landing with loud splashes. Others were leaning over the railings and retching miserably into the foamy green Chang Jiang.

The Wei generals stopped at this pathetic scene, and Cao Cao himself clicked his tongue in disgust as he watched.

Suddenly, a voice from far below spoke up, almost cheerfully, "My, my, the all-powerful kingdom of Wei is going to unite _Tian Xia _with these gallant soldiers?"

Cao Cao and his generals simultaneously glanced down, only to see an absurd-looking little man wrapped in colorful tatters and a gigantic hat, reclining lazily against a moss-covered rock.

Xiahou Dun glared down menacingly with his one remaining eye at the ugly little stranger. Pulling out his Kirin Fang, which was strapped by his waist, he began to growl out a threat: "If you want to lose your head for your audacity, then by all means, keep talking—!"

However, Cao Cao, who seemed to have an uncanny sixth sense for spotting talent in others, held up one hand to quiet his cousin down.

"If you have any ideas on how to solve my little problem, sir, then I beg of you to reveal them," he entreated in a tone that was respectful to the point of almost being humble. "After Wei conquers China, it will certainly never forget your help during this crucial battle."

The odd little man stepped forward, and up close he turned out to be uglier than ever, invoking from Zhang He what could only be described as a sophisticated form of the shudder. This reaction from the exceptionally beautiful—and equally vain—Wei general only seemed to amuse the eccentric hatted strategist.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked with lazy self-assurance. "The soldiers of the North aren't used to naval warfare; hence they spend most of their time getting seasick rather than training!"

At these unflatteringly truthful words, several Wei generals erupted in anger, but their charismatic leader swiftly held out one arm in front of them, thus preventing the bold speaker from getting impaled, skewered, or clawed to death.

"Gentlemen, I will not stand for any bloodshed today," Cao Cao announced meaningfully.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the zany strategist was sitting in the Wei king's own tent, unrolling several diagrams of warships across a low mahogany desk.

"What I'm proposing is that you forge strong iron chains with which to bind all your ships together," he was saying. "This way, your entire fleet will be transformed into a floating fortress, and will be as steady as if it were on land. Your troops will no longer get seasick from the churning waves, and your generals could even ride horses from one ship to the next as they give out orders."

Cao Cao considered this proposal in deep silence.

"Brilliant idea!" he finally decided.

Turning to its creator, he asked earnestly, "Please, I must know your name."

The prompt reply came back in a merry chirp: "It's Pang Tong. Don't you forget it, Lord Cao Cao; Pang Tong's a name you will remember for the rest of your life." And having said this, the absurd little man bowed and backed out of the tent, presumably to go back to his rock and resume his nap.

Even Cao Cao, who was usually so indiscriminating toward men of talent—no matter how eccentric or unattractive these might happen to be—couldn't help but dart a strange look at the spot which Pang Tong had once occupied. After a few moments, he tried to shake off this first impression and began poring over the diagrams which Pang Tong had drawn, when the entrance to his tent was suddenly thrown wide open. A young man in a long, finely-embroidered violet robe burst inside.

"My lord, you mustn't chain the fleet together!"

Cao Cao glanced up in annoyance, and saw Sima Yi standing before him, his eyes widened with obvious horror.

"Why shouldn't I do that?" the Wei king demanded rather dismissively, eager to return to Pang Tong's sketches.

Sima Yi didn't let his leader's unconcealed skepticism deter him, as he argued breathlessly, "If the enemy decides to use a fire attack, not a single ship will escape the flames! My lord, to chain the fleet together is to condemn the entire Wei Armada to defeat here at Chi Bi!"

Cao Cao, unexpectedly, only threw back his head and laughed at this good advice. Standing up, he exited his tent and signaled for Sima Yi to follow.

Once outside, he beckoned a footsoldier over, ordering briskly of the youth, "Hoist your flag up."

The soldier obediently did as he was told, and the blue phoenix banner he was carrying promptly began to flutter briskly in the wind...towards the direction of Wu.

"You see?" Cao Cao declared confidently. "If those insignificant Southern fools try to use a fire attack, they'll only be burning their own fleets!"

He laughed again and returned to his tent, leaving Sima Yi to linger behind, still as worried and unconvinced as ever.

* * *

_1. Literally translates to "Beneath the heavens." Commonly means China the country (and for those of you who've watched Jet Li's_ Hero,_ the phrase 'Tian Xia' is a reference to that movie)_


	10. Chapter Ten: Chi Bi

**Chapter Ten: Chi Bi**

_In the decisive battle for control over China, a prince loses his army, while a princess heads off to war for the first time._

* * *

From atop the heights of a tall cliff, Sun Jian overlooked the blazing inferno below. The swift Wu navy, under Huang Gai's command, was doing an excellent job of serving as fire ships.

Too excellent a job.

Cao Cao's entire armada was being rapidly consumed by their flames, which attacked like roaring scarlet demons, mercilessly devouring every man who stood in their paths.

_What a waste of human life,_ Sun Jian thought sorrowfully to himself, even as his own troops, proudly bearing the crimson tiger flags of Wu, seized upon the chaos which reigned at Cao Cao's camp and began a slaughter of the Wei soldiers who had somehow managed to escape the firestorm.

Sun Jian turned away from the sight, focusing instead on the familiar form of his second son, Sun Quan.

"Zhongmou," he told the young man, "take your forces and go to Hefei. Cao Cao will inevitably try to flee toward there, and I doubt your brother's first wave of attack will completely stop that cunning old bastard...Speaking of your brother, where is Bofu? I haven't seen him since the battle started—"

"Here I am!" a breathless male voice called out before he could finish, and both father and son turned around.

A snorting charger came galloping past Sun Quan, nearly crashing into the latter and spinning him off his own horse, before screeching to a frantic halt in front of Sun Jian. Its rider turned out to be none other than the previously missing Sun Ce, his maroon-and-blue armor thrown on askew, his long dark hair in disarray and streaming loosely around his shoulders...and a suspiciously small amount of Wu infantrymen following at his heels.

As soon as he saw the panicked look on his eldest son's face, Sun Jian knew that something was wrong.

"Bofu, what is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly, yet a note of worry nevertheless crept into his voice. "Why aren't you preparing an ambush for the Wei troops like General Zhou's battle plan calls for? Did you lose to one of Cao Cao's warriors?"

Sun Ce coughed and mumbled something inaudible, which only strained his father's patience.

"What happened?" Sun Jian demanded, giving up on trying to decipher his son's incomprehensible mumblings.

"Pop, Shang Xiang stole half my army!" Sun Ce finally burst out.

Sun Quan, who'd previously looked ready to murder his older brother for nearly knocking him off his mount, now began shaking with laughter.

However, the patriarch of the Sun Clan hardly looked as amused as his child did.

"How could your eighteen-year-old sister possibly steal half your army, son?" he snapped incredulously.

To say that Sun Ce looked uncomfortable at being asked such a question would be a huge understatement, but he eventually coughed up the answer.

"Well, I, ah, kind of woke up a bit late this morning," he admitted sheepishly, prompting his younger brother to suggest in a faux helpful tone, "That ought to teach you never to go drinking and gambling with Gan Ning again!"

The first prince of Wu suddenly seemed to remember something else, and added, "Oh, yeah, about that whole gambling thing—Pop, the Sun family has now lost a city or three to the Gongsun Clan...But don't worry; me and Gan Ning will fight them for all the land we lost last night, as soon as the Wei invasion's been dealt with!"

Sun Jian's face, meanwhile, had turned progressively paler with each word that fell out of his oldest son's lips, until the leader of Wu looked positively ready to go into cardiac arrest—or throttle his firstborn child. With a tremendous burst of self-control, he successfully smothered the urge to do either, and instead urged, tight-lipped, "Continue."

Sun Ce had the grace to at least blush, as he admitted, "Well, when I finally woke up this, um, afternoon, I found out that half of my battalion was gone. Apparently, Little Sis had come early in the morning and told the troops that since their leader—that would be me—had been incapacitated last night, she would be taking my place as general and would be leading them out to battle against Wei. She only managed to carve away half of my men, though: Da Qiao came out just in time, and then that crazy girl took off."

Sun Jian listened in stony silence.

Finally, he turned to Sun Quan and asked of his second son, "Zhongmou, I want you to take what's left of your brother's troops and add them to your army; you'll now be in charge of the ambush that Bofu was supposed to carry out. I'll go to Hefei in your place."

Sun Quan nodded and rode off with the second half of his brother's army, and as Sun Jian himself turned to descend from the cliff, he heard a voice pipe up forlornly, "Hey, wait—what am I supposed to do now?"

Without slowing down, the ruler of Wu threw an answer over his shoulder.

_"You_ have just been formally excused from your battlefield duties so that you may challenge the Gongsun Clan to a duel for all the cities you lost!"

* * *

A soot-blackened Cao Cao coughed as he emerged from the roaring Hell of scarlet flames and swirling black smoke. Behind him straggled a pitifully reduced crew of a few hundred infantrymen; the rest of his awe-inspiring million-men army were either dead or dying, surrendered or scattered.

Of the mighty Wei generals, only those few warriors who were strong enough had managed to escape with their lord: Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, the two Xiahou brothers, and their like. Some, such as Xu Zhu, had stayed behind to keep the triumphant Wu-Shu surge at bay long enough for Cao Cao to escape. Others, such as Cao Ren, were stationed elsewhere, guarding key Wei strongholds.

Cao Cao and the feeble remnants of his army plodded wearily forward, intent on escaping to safety.

Suddenly, a bomb exploded in the distance, and out of the dense forests rushed a small battalion proudly bearing the emerald-green flags of the Shu-Han. At its lead was none other than Liu Bei, riding Hex Mark and brandishing his famous sword, the Gold Moon Dragon.

Cao Cao heaved a weary sigh, before flicking one hand to beckon Xiahou Dun forward.

"Yuanrang, take care of him long enough for the rest of us to escape; you may catch up as soon as your task is completed," he ordered of his loyal cousin.

Xiahou Dun obeyed, riding forward with a few brave cavalrymen and whirling the massive Kirin Fang as he engaged Liu Bei and the Shu troops. Steel met unforgiving steel underneath the silver glint of moonlight as the two warriors exchanged blows, Xiahou Dun forfeiting all swordsmanship technique and instead opting to hack madly at his opponent in his adrenaline-charged frenzy.

Cao Cao took the opportunity to escape, desperately whipping at his horse, Shadow Runner, to go faster. The rest of his army followed, with Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Xiahou Yuan menacingly swinging their weapons at the Shu soldiers to clear a path for the Wei troops.

As soon as he saw that his lord had safely escaped, Xiahou Dun knew that it was time for him to withdraw and flee as well. Victory would come another day; tonight, it would be enough just to survive. The one-eyed warrior feigned a thrust at Liu Bei's right side, and when the latter moved to dodge that attack, Xiahou Dun galloped past him.

"Follow!" Liu Bei yelled that single command, and the Shu troops started to give chase.

Before they had gone a few paces, however, a horseman bearing a green dragon banner burst out from a side road obscured by black foliage. He frantically flagged down Liu Bei, effectively halting the latter's attempts at a pursuit.

"My lord," the strange trooper cried, his Shu uniform in tatters, "General Guan Yu encountered a Wei ambush on his way to Huarong Valley! Please, you must help him!"

Hearing this startling news, Liu Bei almost dropped his sword as he murmured worriedly to himself, "Second Brother!"

Within seconds, his mind was made up: He would have to abandon the chase here. Taishi Ci and Gan Ning were up ahead to intercept Cao Cao, and even if that man could get past those two warriors, there were still Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei waiting in ambush as well, one in the Black Forest, the other at Hulu Valley.

"Come," Liu Bei told his men, "we'll go to the aid of General Guan!"

* * *

Liu Bei glanced suspiciously at his treacherous surroundings—steep cliffs, dark forests, and an endless sea of thick brambles which would make perfect hiding spots for soldiers lying in ambush—as he rode for Huarong Valley. He slowly reined Hex Mark to a stop, and behind him, his soldiers halted as well, while their leader paused to consider the position they were currently in. The inky darkness, the narrow roads, the tall trees and deep-cut mountainsides...

Liu Bei's eyes suddenly widened, as realization flashed across them like a thunderclap.

"Not good," he gasped to himself, and turning around to face his troops, he started to order, "Retreat!"

The order came too late. Just as the Shu battalion had done to Cao Cao earlier that night, so now did a bomb explode, signifying the impending onslaught of soldiers waiting in ambush.

Tall phoenix flags sprang up from amongst trees and bushes, and out rushed a sea of blue-clad soldiers. At their lead rode a Wei officer of incomparable beauty, decked out in an armor of purple-and-black and carrying a pair of long, cruelly sharp claws in his hands as weapons.

"It's a good thing General Sima Yi planned out this ambush, in case something went wrong in the battle tonight," Zhang He spoke with languid eloquence. "Liu Xuande, think of how beautiful your severed head will look, impaled on my Peacock Talon as I present it to my lord tomorrow morning."

Liu Bei tried to act flippant, even though he knew the tides were now solidly in the younger warrior's favor.

"Then Sima Yi must have lost a lot of generals at Chi Bi, if he's been forced to use one of his concubines to set up an ambush for me," he taunted, hoping that this cheap shot at Zhang He's masculinity would incense the latter into making a serious mistake.

For such a tall man weighed down with so much ornamental gold, Zhang He moved astonishingly fast. Liu Bei almost found himself impaled twice to a tree before he was finished speaking, and only some quick action prevented his death right there at the ambush.

Zhang He struck a second time as Liu Bei was unsheathing his sword, knocking the Shu leader off of Hex Mark. However, as Liu Bei fell, he managed to slap the flank of Zhang He's own horse with his sword, so that the startled beast reared up and spilled its master onto the forest floor as well.

Both men now found themselves engaged in ground combat rather than mounted dueling, and the advantage swung further in Zhang He's favor. That man, despite his deceptively refined veneer, turned out to be a swift-as-lightning nightmare with a definite penchant for all things bloody and macabre.

Liu Bei staggered heavily against a pine when one of Zhang He's Peacock Talons found its target, tearing open his right shoulder.

Several cries of, "My lord!" rang out from the Shu side, as the panicked soldiers hurried toward their injured leader.

However, this one gritted his teeth and switched his sword to his left hand, urging his troops to return to battle with a gallant order of, "Charge! Today we overcome the enemy...or we fight to the death!"

Having thus re-ignited the fighting spirits of his men, Liu Bei returned to his own duel.

Zhang He was a demon, striking with such speed and ferocity that Liu Bei found it increasingly difficult to even ward off the other man's attacks, what with his sword held clumsily in his unaccustomed left hand. Another expert slash and the Gold Moon Dragon was knocked aside, landing several yards away from its master.

_So this is the end, is it?_ Liu Bei thought dully to himself, as a gleeful Zhang He got ready for the final, fatal blow...

...Until a flash of gold-and-silver materialized out of seemingly nowhere to deflect the Wei general's attack.

Liu Bei slowly let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, as a new battalion—dressed in bold red tones and proudly brandishing the tiger flags of the Wu kingdom—joined the fight. Leading the troops was a svelte figure on horseback, carrying a pair of chakrams and wearing a burgundy silk scarf wrapped loosely around the lower part of its face.

The new warrior then proceeded to give Zhang He so much hell that the latter was forced to abandon the ambush.

Gathering up the remnants of his troops, the striking Wei general cried out, "Retreat! With grace, gentlemen, with grace!"

A thunderous wave of cheering rose from amidst the victorious Wu-Shu ranks as their enemies hastily ran away. Soldiers yelled and waved their weapons in triumph, while their horses snorted and neighed shrilly and kicked up a large amount of dust.

It took Liu Bei a while to notice that, among these jubilant troops, was a sizeable amount of women warriors. With a start, he turned to their commanding officer, and soon realized why there were so many females in this Wu auxiliary corps.

The bold fighter who'd deflected Zhang He's attack and saved his life was now slowly peeling the burgundy scarf away. Hidden behind its silky folds was a youthful face, which, despite its owner's deceptively short dark hair and aggressive fighting style, bore remarkably attractive, feminine features.

She was a woman, and she turned to smile at Liu Bei with a glow of victory in her warm brown eyes.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Gan Ning, Matchmaker of ...

**Chapter Eleven: Gan Ning, Matchmaker of Wu**

_Beyond the Red Cliffs looms the difficult political task of strengthening alliances._

* * *

Music, dazzling firecrackers, and the enticing aromas of delicacies being prepared all signaled a great celebration going on in Wu. Indeed, the night following the great battle of Chi Bi found most of that kingdom gathered on a giant floating pavilion lit up by multi-colored lanterns in the shapes of lotus flowers. Plenty of laughter and merrymaking filled the air, as jar after jar of wine was passed around and one general after another rose to make toasts, some to the Sun Clan, others to the Wu kingdom, still others to a speedy defeat of Wei and the reunification of China.

With the approach of nightfall, the atmosphere mellowed out somewhat, and a group of lovely dancers and songstresses, with the two Qiao sisters in the lead, made their graceful entrance.

As the musical performance began, Zhou Yu picked up his silver goblet and left his seat. He nonchalantly strode up to Sun Jian, and the two men spent the first few minutes lavishly toasting each other on their hard-won victory over the Wei kingdom. Then, Zhou Yu brought up the real reason for his visit.

"My lord," he spoke up in a low murmur, so as to not upset Sun Ce and Sun Quan, who were seated nearby, "Cao Cao must be burning for revenge after his humiliating defeat at Chi Bi...and a second victory over Wei will prove to be an impossible task for Wu alone."

Sun Jian sighed and leaned back into his seat, absently tapping at his chin as he considered the words of his strategist.

"The only chance that Cao Cao might be defeated for good is if Wu and Shu forge a more permanent alliance, and unite once and for all to strike at Wei," he mused out loud, then heaved a regretful sigh before adding, "Yet such a solid alliance in these uncertain times is almost impossible. Unless..."

At that moment, Sun Shang Xiang's happy, carefree laughter broke into their conversation.

The two men exchanged knowing looks, before Sun Jian stood up as well and followed his strategist out of the room and onto the teak deck of the pavilion. Once free of all the noise, music, and spirited laughter, a stretch of contemplative silence settled between the two men.

Finally, Zhou Yu quietly brought up a certain piece of news.

"My lord, I've heard that Liu Bei's wife, Lady Gan, has recently passed away," he disclosed meaningfully.

* * *

Daybreak slowly peeked over the Shu base camp, where Liu Bei was preparing to launch an expedition into Jingzhou and conquer it from Cao Cao's forces. He was in the middle of poring over a large canvas map of that province, with Zhuge Liang occasionally pointing out strategic locations using the tip of his white feather fan, when a footsoldier entered the tent and reported, "My lord, a tall man with bells around his neck is requesting an audience with you."

Liu Bei looked up and frowned, digging into his mind and trying to conjure up a face to match that unique description.

"Tell him to come back another day," he finally replied with a dismissive wave of one hand, returning to his map as he added, "I'm afraid I don't have much spare time right now."

"My lord," the infantryman insisted, "this man claims to be an ambassador from the Wu kingdom."

"Oh?" The distracted look left Liu Bei's eyes, to be replaced by a mixture of interest and curiosity.

After a moment's hesitation, he consented to meet with this so-called ambassador. "Very well, let him in."

"Yes, sir." And the little soldier obediently turned and ran out of the tent.

Minutes later, a tall man with bells around his neck did, indeed, enter.

Gan Ning of Wu looked strangely ill at ease as he tripped his way to meet with Shu's leader. After Sun Jian and Zhou Yu had conceived of the idea for a marriage alliance, a certain hapless ex-pirate had apparently been saddled with the task of playing matchmaker. All the officers of Wu had drawn lots to see who would get the honors, and as luck would have it, Gan Ning happened to draw the losing one.

Now, as he tried to put on an air of dignity which he felt was befitting of an official representative of the entire South, he began to clumsily stumble his way through a badly-rehearsed speech about unity and the evil that was Cao Cao.

"After all, can we expect to beat the Wei kingdom all by ourselves?" Gan Ning asked rhetorically, and before Liu Bei could answer, he'd already plowed ahead.

"Oh, and by the way, the Sun Clan has heard that Lord Liu Bei's wife has just died—is that true, and if it is, has Lord Liu Bei noticed that the princess of Wu, Sun Shang Xiang, has now reached the marriageable age?"

As Liu Bei sat back and gaped in confused silence, Gan Ning hurriedly untied a bundle from his waist, unrolling the delicate parchment to reveal a lovely portrait of a petite young beauty. She was dressed in frosty blue silk, and posing against a background of heavenly clouds, daintily holding a small branch of red _mei_ flowers in one hand. The girl's short, boyishly-cut hair and openly mischievous smirk, however, seemed strangely at odds with the demurely pastel background and elegant silk outfit.

While Gan Ning was handing over the scroll to Liu Bei, he silently prayed the latter wouldn't notice that the painting was actually a portrait of Da Qiao, with Sun Shang Xiang's face simply painted over that of the elder Qiao beauty's. Without meaning to, his mind wandered back to the day when the warrior princess had found out that she would soon be acquiring a husband...

* * *

_A court had been held at Wu, since this marriage alliance—if it were to happen—would play an important role in that kingdom's politics. A renowned artist had been hired, courtesy of none other than Zhou Yu, to paint the most flattering portrait possible of Sun Shang Xiang, with the hopes that Liu Bei might be mesmerized enough by the princess's beauty to agree to the alliance._

_The minute that Sun Shang Xiang was called to attend, she knew that something must be wrong. Never before in her eighteen years had she been so formally invited to a political assembly: Her father was just beginning to get used to the idea of his little girl fighting in battles, her mother had never been too happy with that fact to begin with, and neither of her parents wanted to further compromise their daughter's femininity by entangling her in the world of politics in addition to that of warfare._

_Needless to say, Sun Shang Xiang entered the Wu meeting hall at a slow gait and with a suspicious frown. She knelt down and bowed in reverence of her father, who noted with relief that his daughter had opted to leave her Sol Chakrams in the training field. One just never knew with that girl and her temper._

_Sun Jian cleared his throat, wondering how to begin; he'd always envisioned the girl's mother as being the one to bring her news of weddings and other such domestic issues. That Sun Shang Xiang's betrothal had now turned into a political affair was something he should have foreseen when he'd established the kingdom of Wu all those years ago, but had somehow managed to overlook nevertheless._

"_Shang Xiang," he slowly began, "you may have realized that the only reason this kingdom was able to defeat Cao Cao at Chi Bi was because of our alliance with Shu."_

_Sun Shang Xiang nodded suspiciously, but for the moment remained silent._

"_Well," her father continued in a quiet voice, "alliances aren't always easy to maintain. We need Shu in order to defeat Wei, and to do that, we must forge a stronger, more personal alliance with Liu Xuande."_

"_Pop and Zhou Yu want to marry you off to the old guy," Sun Ce broke in bluntly, fearing that the meeting would never finish at the rate his father was beating around the bush._

_The outcry that his younger sister set up at hearing this was deafening._

"_Liar!" Sun Shang Xiang screamed, leaping up and reflexively bringing one arm over her shoulder as though to throw her chakrams at her oldest brother._

_Whirling around to her father and aiming her fury at him next, she cried out, "How could you marry me off to a virtual stranger for your stupid alliance? Tell me it's not true!"_

_Sun Jian couldn't have looked unhappier as he said, "I'm sorry, Shang Xiang, but it is true. Zhou Yu and I—"_

"_I knew it!" Sun Shang Xiang swung her anger toward the strategist now. "If you're so eager to set up some stupid alliance with Shu, why don't _you_ marry one of _their_ women?"_

_Zhou Yu's lips turned white under her verbal assault, and Sun Jian spoke up sternly, "Shang Xiang, you're being unreasonable."_

_The Wu princess relapsed into seething silence, and after a while, Sun Quan tactfully spoke up, "You don't have to get married right now. Why don't you let Mr. Chen—" Here, he pointed at the artist—"paint your portrait first? Then, we can actually invite Liu Bei to Wu, and..."_

* * *

_That hadn't been one of his prince's smarter moments,_ Gan Ning, now safe on the northern shores of the Chang Jiang, decided. (The other none-too-smart moment had been when Sun Quan had recently kicked Pang Tong out of Wu for being too bizarre and ugly to make a respectable court official!)

Needless to say, after Sun Shang Xiang was done venting, the poor artist was terrified at the very thought of going near her. Sun Ce and Sun Quan had felt the full power of their baby sister's Sol Chakrams when they'd tried to hold her down to have her portrait painted.

In the end, Da Qiao had taken pity on the Sun Clan after seeing her husband's black eyes at the hands of his sister, and had volunteered to take the princess's place. Sun Jian, with every appearance of suffering from a tremendous headache, had scrounged up a year-old scroll of his daughter, posing gleefully atop her warhorse and painted on her last birthday, for the artist to copy onto Da Qiao's head.

Now, as Liu Bei examined the patched-together portrait, he thoughtfully remarked, "Forgive me for my bluntness, but I had heard that Lady Sun was substantially taller than this."

Gan Ning gulped and started at this comment, and the bells he always wore around his neck jingled merrily at his movement.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei was holding up the scroll so that Zhuge Liang could see. The Prime Minister of Shu darted one brief glance at the painting of "Qiao Shang Xiang" and began to smile knowingly, while Gan Ning inwardly cursed him for being so damn clever.

"I'm honored that the people of Wu think me worthy of Lady Sun, but the two of us simply won't make a good match," Liu Bei started to decline apologetically. "After all, I'm so much older than she...And I hope you won't be offended if I say this, General Gan, but I simply don't feel right about remarrying so soon after my wife's passing; besides, I'm much too preoccupied with the Jingzhou campaign right now to make an attentive husband—"

At that moment, Zhuge Liang calmly spoke up.

"Therefore, my lord hopes that the Sun Clan will understand why he can only manage a very short visit to Wu," he declared with a look of veiled confidence in his eyes.

Liu Bei turned to give his master strategist a shocked look, but the man known as Sleeping Dragon merely smiled and continued slowly swishing his fan back and forth.

Gan Ning grinned to himself at how easily his matchmaking mission had gone. Prudent for what felt like the first time in his life, he was swift to thank both men before eitherof the two could change his mind. Within a short ten minutes of his entrance, the ex-pirate was already on his way to the port where his ship was docked, happily preparing to sail back to Wu and deliver the good news.

It took Gan Ning a while to think of the consequences of his actions—namely, how Sun Shang Xiang might react to her future husband's visit. A chain of scenarios flashed across his mind—none of them too pleasant—and as he pictured these, his enthusiastic grin started to droop.


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Reunion with Xi Tian

**Chapter Twelve: The Reunion with Xi Tian**

_During the conquest of Jingzhou, a young Tiger General encounters an oddly familiar flower girl._

* * *

While Liu Bei vexed over feelings of insecurity at being matched with a bride more than ten years his junior, his three generals occupied themselves with matters on a grander scale. Guan Yu had been sent to capture Changsha, Zhang Fei to subdue Wuling, and Zhao Yun to acquire Guiyang, thus initiating Shu's conquest of the Jingzhou region. The latter two set off on their missions with three thousand soldiers apiece; gallant Guan Yu took a battalion of only five hundred with him, confident he could win Changsha with these.

It was Zhao Yun who first reached his destination: the prosperous Southeastern city of Guiyang. The twenty-four-year-old Tiger General rode authoritatively at the head of his troops on a pure white stallion, resplendent in his silver-and-blue armor, his long dark locks held away from his forehead with a slender strip of green brocade. In front of him towered the imposing city walls which encircled all of Guiyang, behind him stood his soldiers and a number of fluttering flags bearing the character "Zhao."

A roll of drums sounded in the air, before the heavy iron gates of Guiyang's walls slowly creaked open. Out rode that city's defending force—a none too inspiring contingent, seeing as how Cao Cao had gathered all of his best warriors for the failed campaign at Chi Bi.

Zhao Yun brandished his Fierce Dragon spear in the enemy's direction and loosed a war cry of, "Charge!" as he rode out in front of his men to lead the attack.

Two opposing generals came forward to meet his challenge, but in less than five bouts both were easily slain. Seeing this, panic spread across their ranks like vicious wildfire, so that their footsoldiers scattered in a mass of chaos, some retreating into their city, others running over to the Shu side and throwing themselves to the ground in surrender.

Zhao Yun pushed forward, gritting his teeth as he braved a torrent of arrows raining down from the walls. If it meant turning himself into a human target in order to conquer Guiyang, then so be it! Behind him, his army continued to pour into that city like a massive green tidal wave.

As his soldiers swarmed the chaotic streets, Zhao Yun called out a strict command.

"Under no conditions are civilians to be harmed!" he ordered. "Anybody who does so will be executed immediately!"

With their general's words ringing in their ears, the Shu forces charged against the Guiyang forces. As the battle progressed, more and more defending soldiers either surrendered or died, while their superior officers began concerning themselves with escape rather than with holding the city.

Zhao Yun himself plunged his way through where the battle was raging the fiercest, turning aside any challenges with swift ease. A group of teenaged infantrymen, armed with shoddy spears and halberds, attempted to close in on his tall white horse and bring him down, but all he needed to do was give a warning yell and swing his Fierce Dragon in a wide arc. The terrified little conscripts promptly paled and dropped their own weapons, before turning tail and fleeing in a mad scramble.

Within minutes of their departure, an ornate carriage, bearing the white flag of peace on its window, warily approached Zhao Yun. Seated inside was the governor of Guiyang, holding his seal of office in his lap. It had taken the man a while, but he'd eventually come to realize that when confronted with a Tiger of Shu, surrendering was the smartest decision.

* * *

Late afternoon settled in, as on the skies above, the sun turned into a giant fireball of raging scarlet. Zhao Yun strode across the streets of Guiyang, a small group of soldiers trailing behind him as he surveyed the city to make sure everything was in order. Everywhere, civilians both young and old came out to bid welcome to the tall and handsome warrior, as reverent murmurs of, "General Zhao," and "Great General," rang out across the air.

Zhao Yun paused in his trek to help up a gray-haired old man who'd been practically kowtowing to the ground, hastily reassuring him, "You needn't go through such troubles to greet a humble officer, sir."

As he uttered those words, a slight faraway movement caught his eye. Glancing up, he saw a vaguely familiar figure idling at a street corner and carrying a bamboo basket filled with vibrant orange tulips. Something about her triggered a spark of recognition in Zhao Yun, and moving past the old man, he began to approach the street she was standing on.

"Orchid?" he called out.

The flower girl reacted as if she didn't recognize that particular name, and simply went about her business. For a moment Zhao Yun paused in mid-step, wondering if he'd simply mistaken her for the same charming handmaid he'd met all those months ago.

But although her hairstyle had since changed, with some raven tresses being gathered into a plaited up-do at the side of her head while most of the rest swept loosely across her back, the vague spark of recognition persisted. Zhao Yun felt certain that, somewhere, he'd once seen a girl with that same face and figure.

He jogged lightly toward the flower girl, calling out once again now that he was sure she was within hearing range, "Orchid?"

She at least acknowledged his presence this time, turning around with a faint rustle of delicate pink silk. Her eyes—colored a familiar soft gold—lit up in recognition as soon as they met his face, and she nearly dropped her tulip basket in her delight as she laughed sunnily in greeting: "General Zhao!"

"I knew it was you, Orchid," Zhao Yun replied warmly.

A smile unwittingly sprang to his lips, when he noticed that, dressed in frosty rose and with her luxuriant hair flowing loose, the girl made a far prettier picture than she did the first time he'd met her.

Before he even realized what he was thinking, a rather puzzling answer met his words, when she told him, "Oh, I'm afraid I'm not selling any orchids today, General, but you like tulips just as well, don't you?"

Zhao Yun could only gape at her in astonishment.

"What do you mean? Isn't Orchid your name?" _Or perhaps she was the one called Firelight,_ he silently mused.

Xi Tian started to give him a confused look...until she remembered that awful maid's outfit of coarse hemp cloth. Memory flashed across her suddenly-white face like lightning, while the flower basket dropped from her hands and clattered onto the street, scattering dainty petals everywhere. Zhao Yun bent down to solicitously retrieve the tulips for her, while she tried in vain to hide her embarrassed blush behind her silky pink handkerchief.

"Of course it's my name," Xi Tian tried to repair the damage her indiscretion had done. "Tulip...ah, I mean, Orchid! That's what everybody calls me—_Orchid_—since I, um, tend to the vegetable garden—I mean, the flower garden!"

Then, in an effort to shift the attention away from her blunder, she asked, "What are you doing in Guiyang, General Zhao?"

"I've just won this city for the Shu kingdom," came the plain answer.

Then, Zhao Yun lifted one eyebrow questioningly in the nineteen-year-old's direction, returning, "What are _you_ doing in Guiyang?"

Hearing those words, Xi Tian dropped her eyelids to the ground.

"I had to get away," she replied softly. "Soon after you left, a Wei search party arrived at Refuge Park, with an edict for my Pa—I mean, my lord's arrest for harboring an officer of the rebel forces."

Zhao Yun felt a surge of guilt upon hearing her story.

"I had no idea..." His voice trailed off. "If I'd known how much trouble I would cause, I never would have dared even think of seeking shelter from your master."

"It's not your fault, General Zhao. How could you have known Wei would find out?" Xi Tian hastened to reassure him. "However, when the Wei troops brought our household to Xuchang to determine our punishments, Cao Cao...he...I guess that old villain found me pretty, for he declared that he would pardon my family if I stayed behind in his Bronze Bird Tower. But I couldn't stand the thought of being one amongst the hundreds of Cao Cao's concubines, so I ran away as soon as I heard that my family had been granted amnesty and were allowed to leave the capital."

Here, she lowered her head and blinked rapidly, while Zhao Yun gazed down at her with pity in his eyes.

"I...Orchid...Sorry," he apologized helplessly.

Before he could indulge in too much remorse, though, Xi Tian unexpectedly flung herself into his arms—scratching her nose on the hard metal of his armor in the process—and cried, "Oh, thank the Heavens you're here; I'm grateful to finally see a familiar face!"

Zhao Yun uncharacteristically blushed, not sure of what he was supposed to do when pretty girls leapt, weeping, into his arms. In the end, he only managed a weak pat on top of Xi Tian's raven head.

"Orchid," he spoke in his kindest voice, "do you have anywhere else you can go to? Perhaps your old master..."

Xi Tian sniffed and looked up at him, hiding part of her face behind her handkerchief as though out of timidity (but really only to cover up the unsightly red scratch on her nose!)

"How can I go back to him when I don't even know where he has fled to?" she asked helplessly. "No, I've got nobody and nowhere to go...except to Cao Cao and his Bronze Bird Tower."

She dropped her eyelashes to the ground between them as she added hopefully, "If General Zhao knows somebody I could go to...Perhaps this unworthy girl can work as a handmaid for the great general's lady?"

Zhao Yun turned bright red at her words, while behind him, his soldiers began to snicker rather irreverently, much to his annoyance.

He coughed, cleared his throat, and shuffled around for something to say, before finally mumbling, "Ah...I have no wife."

Xi Tian softly cried, "Oh!" and hid further behind her handkerchief, as if mortified by her own bold assumption.

"But," Zhao Yun suddenly spoke up, "I know somebody who soon will."

* * *

With Changsha's fall at the hands of Guan Yu, the Shu conquest of Jingzhou was complete.

In addition to gaining a new province, Liu Bei was tremendously pleased when his Second Brother also brought along two bold warriors with him: Huang Zhong, an aged veteran whose unmatched prowess with the bow and arrow would soon earn him the title of the fourth Tiger General, and Wei Yan, a rather brutish-looking man of few words and an aloof demeanor which immediately earned him the wary distrust of Zhuge Liang.

Nevertheless, the mood at the Shu camp was a festive one, its newest victories and acquisitions being celebrated with wine and music.

It was this triumphant atmosphere that Zhao Yun slowly rode into, significantly later than his fellow officers. Liu Bei, hounded by his two sworn brothers' merciless teasings and jokes about his upcoming nuptials, was the first one to notice the youngest Shu general's presence.

He leapt up, grateful for the distraction of Zhao Yun's arrival, and asked good-naturedly, "Zilong, what took you so long to arrive?"

In response, Zhao Yun quietly leapt off his horse.

Sitting on the saddle behind him was Xi Tian, who offered a pleasant smile to all the curious eyes fixed on her.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Family Feud

**Chapter Thirteen: Family Feud**

_Hell hath no fury like a Mother scorned._

* * *

"My Lord, Liu Xuande and a small fleet of Shu officers will be arriving at Wu within this week."

Sun Jian nodded, before wearily dismissing the courier and turning to his court to see whom among them was brave enough to deliver that message to the impetuous bride-to-be.

Gan Ning, smartly, was the first one to back out.

"Hey, why's everyone looking at me?" he demanded nervously. "I mean, I've already served my duties as matchmaker by going over to Shu and proposing the engagement to Liu Bei!"

And before anybody could answer that, Gan Ning had already excused himself by claiming he had to walk his horse, then dashing off in a jingle of golden bells.

Sun Jian next turned to his eldest son. Cocky and valiant Sun Ce, usually so brash and eager to dive headfirst into danger, bluntly refused.

"Ah…no!" he announced, before his father could even say a word.

Sun Quan feigned a sudden cough and conveniently "lost his voice," and when Sun Jian turned to Lu Xun and began to solemnly ask, "Boyan, can you go into Lady Sun's court and—" the youngster promptly squeaked and fainted.

Finally, Zhou Yu stood up and declared, "This is absurd. We are the same generals who vanquished Cao Cao's million-men army at the Battle of Chi Bi; surely there must be one among us with enough courage to deliver a simple message to Lady Sun!"

The other officers merely gawked uncomprehendingly at Zhou Yu, who, with an exasperated cry, decided in a rough voice, "Fine, then. _I'll_ go!"

Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Yu returned…with two black eyes and a swollen upper lip. The other Wu officers stared in wide-eyed shock as their strategist limped along, supported on either side by a footsoldier.

"What happened?" Sun Jian asked with concern, but Zhou Yu could only wheeze out one word: "Mother."

A wave of confused murmuring rippled across the ranks, before Sun Ce's voice was heard rising above the rest.

"What, did my baby sister beat you up so badly that you want to crawl back to your mother?" he smirked impertinently.

The others, who'd been discussing that perhaps they should send in Huang Gai next—surely Sun Shang Xiang wouldn't dare hit an elder?—stopped and roared with laughter at their first prince's cheeky joke.

Zhou Yu glared at his sworn brother, before gritting out, "I was talking about _Lady Sun's_ mother!"

The laughter abruptly stopped.

Sun Jian froze in his seat and turned white, gasping, "What!"

But it was already too late. The doors of the assembly hall were abruptly slammed open with a bang, and there stood the redoubtable Lady Wu, wife of Sun Jian and mother of Sun Shang Xiang.

Quickly, the rest of the fearless warriors of Wu spouted off one lame excuse after another and scrambled off, until only the unhappy husband and sons were left behind to deal with the matriarch's unconcealed wrath.

"Little Sis, you tattletale," Sun Ce growled under his breath, as his mother began to speak.

"I recover from my illness today," Lady Wu began in an acid tone, "only to find out that my daughter's been betrothed to a virtual stranger this week! Care to explain how this curious event came to be about?"

She tapped her folded fan menacingly against the palm of her hand while impatiently glaring at the male Suns, who lowered their heads and refused to make eye contact with her. This only seemed to infuriate Lady Wu even further, and she proceeded to light into the hapless men.

"Peons! Worthless and incompetent peons!" she screeched in a fury. "What sorts of inept politicians are you that you have to resort to bullying a girl into marriage in order to work out an alliance! And not just any girl—your _own_ little girl, Wentai!"

Sun Jian visibly cringed under her verbal abuse. Fortunately for him, though, Sun Ce spoke up just then.

"But it wasn't our idea, originally—Zhou Yu was the one who planned it all!" he protested, appealing to his mother with his most innocent look.

Lady Wu stopped in mid-tirade.

"Was it, now?" And an odd little smile started to form on her face.

* * *

At the same time that Sun Jian and his sons were bending to maternal rage, chaos also reigned in the Shu courts…albeit for a vastly different reason. Engagement gifts were being bought, felicitations were dealt with accordingly, and servants scurried to and fro, forever busy at one task or another.

Inside the kitchen, the harried cook was trying to grab a hold of someone to take some tea to Liu Bei. When she finally spotted the newest handmaid, who apparently had nothing to do, the old cook gratefully plunked a tea tray into her hands and shooed her off.

Xi Tian, who'd avoided doing any work so far by hiding out in the flower gardens, smiled brightly at the buxom woman, before setting the tray down, picking up the porcelain teacup, and languidly taking a sip. The cook stared boggle-eyed at Xi Tian for one moment, then nearly blew the roof off as she hollered, "You stupid little wench! That tea is for our Lord Liu Bei!"

Xi Tian scowled, offended, before retorting, "How dare you raise your voice at me, you peasant woman? Not even my amah used to chastise me in that tone!"

The cook raised one work-roughened hand as if to slap the impudent handmaid before her, then abruptly lowered it when a thought came to her.

"You had an amah? What kind of rich handmaid are you?" she demanded suspiciously, peering down into the girl's face.

Xi Tian gulped as she realized her mistake, before hastily picking up the tea tray and stammering, "Uh, Lord Liu Bei must be thirsty; I'll just hurry up and bring him his tea now."

With that, she tripped and tottered her way toward Liu Bei's court, ungracefully sloshing about half the tea out of its cup in her hurry to get away from the suspicious cook.

* * *

Back south of the Chang Jiang, Lady Wu had summoned the black-and-blue Zhou Yu, and was railing at him for meddling into her daughter's affairs and trying to use the kingdom's only princess as some pawn of war.

She rebuked the unfortunate young man until his head was hanging down in shame, and he finally cried out in self-defense, "But it wasn't me who actually went to Shu and played matchmaker! It was General Gan Ning!"

"Is that so?" And that wicked smirk once again sprang onto Lady Wu's face.

* * *

Liu Bei critically examined his reflection in the mirror in front of him. Although he was a handsome man, on that day, none of his features seemed to please him too tremendously.

"You know," Zhang Fei's voice drifted in from the doorway, "if you want to look younger, Elder Brother, all you have to do is keep the Veteran General Huang Zhong by your side when you meet Lady Sun."

An embarrassed flush crept up Liu Bei's neck and cheeks when he turned around and realized that both of his sworn brothers were standing at the entrance, and had witnessed most of his primping attempts.

"That's not what I'm worried about," he quickly stammered.

His expression turned serious again, as he added thoughtfully, "I'm just concerned about what this marriage to Lady Sun might mean. I don't believe we're ready for such a binding alliance with Wu. After all, we can't forget that our two kingdoms were rivals a short while ago."

Before he could speak any further, a small head peeked inside, and Xi Tian entered, balancing a tea tray in her hands.

"For you, my lord," she spoke with a spirited laugh, putting on her most innocent smile with the hopes that Liu Bei wouldn't notice that she'd stolen the dried date in his tea.

Liu Bei accepted the white porcelain cup that the girl presented to him.

"Thank you…Lotus…no, Orchid, is it?" he asked, recalling that she was the one Zhao Yun had brought back from Guiyang with the suggestion that Shu could present her as a handmaid to Lady Sun.

A dimple and a sunny curtsey were his reply, before Xi Tian turned to leave, just as Liu Bei drew his cup to his lips and gave it a strange look…probably wondering why three-quarters of his beverage, along with the dark red date that the cook was usually fond of placing into her teas, was curiously missing.

* * *

In Wu, Gan Ning had been readily summoned to be berated by his queen for running off and trying to play love god without so much as even consulting the women involved.

"But I didn't even know about this marriage alliance until the two princes forced me to draw matchmaking lots!" the hapless ex-pirate pointed his finger at Sun Ce and Sun Quan, who glowered at him while muttering under their breaths, "Traitor!"

Lady Wu's left eyebrow twitched.

"The two princes already know never to interfere with their sister's love life again," she reassured him haughtily, and behind her, the younger Suns bowed their heads.

Gan Ning gulped.

"Oh. Well, I wasn't the one who came up with the idea to marry Lady Sun to Liu Bei either; Zhou Yu planned the whole thing!" he disclosed, pointing his finger at the strategist next.

Lady Wu's right eyebrow twitched.

"And after today, he'll have learned to be more discreet about offering my daughter's hand in marriage," the stern matron snapped.

Gan Ning began to sweat. There was nobody left to shift the blame to!

Unless...

* * *

Xi Tian slipped outside after delivering the tea, eager to escape from the suspicious and intimidating old cook.

Somewhere in the city square, a wandering troupe of acrobats was performing its well-practiced act to a delighted audience. Xi Tian, hearing their noise and laughter, eagerly began heading that way, hoping to avoid both the cook and doing any more housework.

No sooner had she gone a few steps, however, than a tall man with a large straw hat obscuring his features stepped in front of her path, directly blocking her way.

"_Mei gu niang(1),_ may I interest you in some beautiful crafts?" he drawled dashingly, at the same time holding up some rather garish knickknacks with one hand.

Xi Tian wrinkled her nose in distaste at the tacky trinkets, and started to move away. However, before she could do so, the man swiftly moved to grab her wrist. With his free hand, he tipped up his large hat, revealing a cruelly beautiful face hidden behind it.

Xi Tian started at this sight.

"You must be General Zhang He," she finally spoke, in an uncharacteristic whisper.

* * *

"…I only went because General Taishi Ci made me—he said that a loyal warrior always does his leader's bidding," Gan Ning lied through his teeth, implicating yet another luckless Wu general.

* * *

_1. Fair maiden._


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Cao Cao's Scheme

**Chapter Fourteen: Cao Cao's Scheme**

_Safe within the towering city walls of Xuchang, Cao Cao plots to avenge his defeat at Chi Bi._

* * *

Xi Tian looked at the remarkably beautiful features, cold dark eyes, and wisps of midnight-colored hair peeking from beneath their giant straw hat, and had no trouble identifying the man standing before her.

"You must be General Zhang He," she breathed in a soft, startled voice, before quickly adding with a flattering smile, "I've heard much about you, Great General."

She conveniently forgot to mention, however, that most—if not all—of what she had heard about him had more to do with his unique physical appearance than with his fighting prowess.

Zhang He, for his part, seemed quite pleased with Xi Tian's compliment. As a result, he momentarily forgot to be angry at the girl for wandering so far away from the Middle Land, thus forcing him to ride all those _li_ under deplorable traveling conditions—and wearing such a hideously tacky disguise—just to rendezvous with her.

"What have you learned so far?" the striking general wasted no time in asking.

Xi Tian fidgeted at this simple question, absently twisting her rose handkerchief around her fingers, while she herself turned as pink as that delicate slip of silk. In the back of her mind, she'd always known that she'd pay one day for frivolously passing her time in Shu chattering with anyone who'd listen or chasing after butterflies; she'd just figured that her punishment would come from that nasty-tempered old cook, rather than from a Wei warrior whose great beauty could easily surpass that of either of the two Qiaos.

"Ah…Lord Liu Bei will be going to the Wu kingdom this week to be married," Xi Tian stammered guiltily, plucking at the most obvious answer.

One of Zhang He's eyebrows warily slanted upwards at hearing her awkward response.

"Everybody knows that already," the arresting warrior pointed out. "Sun Jian has offered his only daughter to Liu Bei in order to forge a more secure alliance with him; our spies brought in the news as soon as the Sun Clan sent its matchmaker to Shu."

Xi Tian broke into peals of laughter that were a bit too bright and merry in their effort to cover up their owner's nervousness.

"So you've heard about it," she chirped. "Bye now."

And she made a rather obvious attempt to escape into the safety of the crowds.

Zhang He tightened his hold on her wrist, pulling her back toward him with traces of a suspicious frown beginning to emerge on his flawless features.

"That's not enough, _mei gu niang,"_ he told her in a voice that held an unmistakably menacing timbre despite its veneer of perfect courtesy. "What have you gathered of Shu's ability to wage war? What are the individual flaws of its generals? How steady is its political alliance with Wu? Are its forces well-supplied? Are its battle formations beautiful?"

War? Generals? Political alliances? Never before in her nineteen years had Xi Tian been assaulted with such serious, masculine topics, so she chose instead to focus on more familiar territory: the word "beautiful."

"Oh, as beautiful as the moon and the stars," she lied with a straight face, for in reality, she'd been too busy dodging her chores and avoiding the old cook during her stint with Shu to even get a glimpse of that kingdom's training grounds.

Zhang He began to scowl. Cao Cao was renowned for his craftiness, but sending a female spy into the enemy lines was rapidly beginning to reveal itself as one of his poorer ideas. Sure the Xi girl was inconspicuous—yet she was also turning out to be careless, feckless, artless…

But at that moment, Xi Tian unwittingly redeemed herself before the narcissistic warrior's eyes.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be focusing more on the Sun-Liu marriage alliance, rather than on how beautiful the Shu troops are?" the pretty nineteen-year-old asked innocently.

At the disinterested lift of Zhang He's charcoal eyebrows, she proceeded to explain herself: "After all, Lord Liu Bei is very reluctant to even _meet_ Lady Sun. There's potential for some serious conflict between their two kingdoms if the marriage fails."

* * *

Cao Cao swept a glance at his court with some semblance of a grim smile on his face. True, Wei had recently suffered a humiliating and sound loss, and at the hands of two inferior kingdoms, no less. But out of the ashes of Chi Bi, he'd managed to salvage what was most important for maintaining a warring state: gifted strategists and heroic generals.

And Cao Cao didn't plan on going unavenged for too long—the seed for both Shu and Wu's downfalls had already been sown.

Here, he turned to one particular court official seated to his left side.

"Lord Xi, I trust you found agreeable the amount of silver I sent you last week?" the ambitious king drawled in a regal voice.

"I am forever indebted to Your Majesty for your kindness," came the respectful response, coupled with a bow.

"I understand that mere silver is no replacement for your virtuous daughter," Cao Cao continued in a sympathetic-sounding tone. "However, let me personally reassure you that once her task is completed and China is again as one, Xi _Gu Niang(1)_ will be well taken care of, in want of neither money nor a husband."

Xi Wen Qing suppressed a sigh and bit down on his lower lip at hearing this. The last thing he needed was for Cao Cao, of all people, to be playing matchmaker for Xi Tian—his poor child would probably end up with the former's hateful one-eyed cousin for a husband…or worse, somebody even more fearsome! If anything, it was bad matchmaking for the girl that had dragged the Xi family into this whole mess to begin with.

With a livid Lu Bu closing in on Jingzhou City from the north and the ominous words of the Taoist priest from over a decade earlier ringing in his ears, Lord Xi had had no choice but to become a virtual recluse. Life in the semi-wilderness around Dangyang hadn't been easy those early months, and bandit raids were rapidly becoming a dreaded weekly ritual.

While brave little Xi Ai was still around, she'd managed to keep the brigands at bay, but the day eventually arrived when the fortune-teller's ten-year-old prediction came true. Xi Ai, the youngest of the four sisters, had found herself heavily outmatched in battle against marauding river pirates. She ended up losing so badly that she'd ultimately been carried off by the outlaws during her gallant attempt to retrieve the Xi family heirlooms they'd stolen.

When Liu Biao's incompetent young son surrendered the whole of Jingzhou to Cao Cao soon afterwards, the latter had inevitably discovered Lord Xi's isolated country estate while surveying his newly-won territory. Recognizing a talented official in the bereaved father of four, Cao Cao had offered to cleanse the countryside of plunderers and ruffians, and had mostly stayed true to his word.

It hadn't been an act of altruism, however.

Soon after Chi Bi, Cao Cao had called on Lord Xi, demanding a return for his favor. Wei needed a spy to infiltrate the enemy ranks, to gather personal information on their warriors and leaders, which might prove useful when facing against these same people at future dates. But so far, the Middle Land had had disastrous luck when it came to spies—at least male ones—with its two most recent ones being executed just before the commencement of the battle of Chi Bi.

A woman, on the other hand, wouldn't be suspected of espionage as much. The lovely Lady Zhen Ji was unfortunately too well-known to be able to assimilate herself with the enemy…which was where Lord Xi, with his remaining daughter, came into the picture. The fact that Xi Tian had already endeared herself to one of the Tiger Generals of Shu would only serve to increase her chances of being welcomed into that particular kingdom.

What could Lord Xi do when confronted with this thinly-veiled order from Cao Cao? He'd had no choice but to arrange for an "accidental" reunion between his beloved daughter and the young hero of Chang Ban Slope, letting fate take its course from there on.

Lord Xi didn't have time to lament over his many woes for too long.

At that moment, a messenger scampered into the assembly hall, knelt down, and announced loudly, "My lord, General Zhang has returned."

"Send him in, of course," Cao Cao replied with a wave of one hand, and within minutes, Zhang He strode gracefully into the room, fixing his hair from where it had gotten messed up due to a long ride on horseback coupled with having to wear a tacky giant hat for innumerable hours.

This urgent hairdressing task taken care of, Zhang He proceeded to bow before his king.

When asked of what he'd learned from his recent trip to Jingzhou, the Peacock General proceeded to announce, "Xi _Gu Niang_ tells me that there's already reluctance and strain in the pact between Wu and Shu. If the Sun-Liu marriage crumbles, so will the alliance."

Cao Cao sat back, looking pleased at this news.

"So soon?" he sneered derisively. "I myself have always believed in the sanctity of marriage, but for the Sun-Liu case, I think I'll make an exception. The sooner that union is broken, the sooner Wu and Shu will destroy each other, leaving Wei to swoop in for the easy conquest and reunification of China."

And then, he veered off-topic to put forth a question which had no apparent relevance.

"Lord Xi, how well-versed is your daughter in the fine arts?" Cao Cao asked.

Though he looked startled at first, Lord Xi obligingly replied, "She was home-schooled in all aspects of _qin qi shu hua(2)_ while we were still living in Jingzhou City. Though fair at these four, I'm afraid my little girl never quite had the patience or devotion to fully master them."

"Fair will do just fine," Cao Cao reassured the ex-governor.

Having said that, he went on to write a few lines on paper, beckoning Zhang He over when he was finished as if to have him deliver the letter. Zhang He, however, visibly blanched at the mere thought of having to re-subject his beautiful hair to that nightmare of incessant bumpy rides and tacky hats, all for the sake of delivering a piddling little letter to a girl not yet twenty.

Xiahou Dun caught the pitiful look on his comrade's face, rightly interpreting its cause and scowling to himself in both irritation and disgust.

Storming up toward Cao Cao, the fierce one-eyed warrior bowed briskly and requested, "My lord, allow Xiahou Dun to deliver the letter in General Zhang's place."

Cao Cao saw few problems with switching messengers, so he conceded and gave his letter to his cousin instead.

"Liu Bei and his forces must be preparing to cross the Chang Jiang by now. It will be difficult trying to catch up to Xi _Gu Niang_ by ship without attracting the attention of the Shu sailors, so I suggest you intercept her at Wu instead," he instructed.

"Understood," Xiahou Dun replied solemnly, before turning on his heels and striding out of the assembly hall.

* * *

_1. Maiden, or Miss._

_2. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, the four arts which all Chinese scholars were expected to master._


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Journey to the South

**Chapter Fifteen: Journey to the South**

_After great deliberation, Liu Bei finally sets sail to the South Land to meet his young bride._

* * *

A brisk, cold wind blew across the rolling waves of the Chang Jiang, as a small Shu fleet, proudly flying its green dragon banners high, navigated across that river. Save for Lady Yue Ying, however, no other women were onboard any of the teakwood ships. As such, there was naturally very little need for attending handmaids.

Lonely for companionship, Xi Tian wandered aimlessly up and down the deck. Thanks to her earlier upbringing in Jingzhou, she was familiar enough with ships and naval voyages to overcome any hints of seasickness once on the Chang Jiang. Yet this restless health only left her bouncier than ever, as the nineteen-year-old fruitlessly tried to find some source of entertainment or distraction.

Unfortunately, her search was in vain. Her only hope of some amusement would have come from the loudmouthed and hot-tempered Zhang Fei…and, Xi Tian reflected morosely, he was on a different ship. Liu Bei and Zhao Yun, fearing that the swarthy Tiger General's drunken tirades and crude, insensitive jokes might upset delicate young ears, had made sure of that.

In an effort to kill some time, Xi Tian lifted her rosy skirts and climbed onto the ship's railings, absently kicking her legs back and forth over the waters as a means of amusement. _Amah would be calling me a monkey if she could see me, _she reflected with a gleeful grin, one much like a mischievous child might wear after having avoided punishment for doing something naughty.

Xi Tian carefully shifted her position and smoothed down her skirts, smiling down brightly at her wavery reflection. Was that a loosened lotus flower in her hair? She leaned slightly forward to get a better view of her reflection in the waters, adjusting the ornamental blossom as she pleased.

She was so busy preening over the Chang Jiang, however, that she failed to take notice when Zhao Yun strode toward her. At the sound of his voice, speaking so suddenly and coming from directly behind her as he started to caution, "Orchid, it's not safe to be sitting so close to the edge—" Xi Tian gave a startled little shriek, almost jumping several feet from the teak rails…and then promptly tumbled right into the river, hitting the cold green waters with a splash.

Zhao Yun blinked, stunned by the reaction his appearance had evoked, before leaning over the rails—almost reflexively—to see where Xi Tian had fallen. Seeing her splashing around the river, coughing but somehow managing to stay afloat, the young warrior wasted no time in stepping back to strip off his heavy silver armor, then diving into the Chang Jiang after her.

Almost immediately, he began to sink, for as soon as he hit the water, his heavy boots started to weigh him down and drag him to the sandy river bottom. With a mighty effort, Zhao Yun managed to kick his way back to the surface, swimming toward the choking and floundering Xi Tian. As soon as he was within reaching distance, he flung out one arm and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her toward him as he began heading back toward the ship.

The added weight only caused him to falter and begin to sink again. Zhao Yun thrashed out his free arm and began to kick desperately toward the towering wall of teakwood, which seemed so close and yet, at the same time, so far away. He inevitably discovered that he could not get Xi Tian safely onboard where there were tall railings, so he took a deep breath and began struggling toward the front of the ship, where no such imposing iron bars could block his way.

Reaching it, Zhao Yun eased the coughing and thoroughly soaked Xi Tian onboard…then promptly floundered and began to sink again.

Before he could drop back into the watery depths, a small hand reached out and grasped onto his arm as he was going under, pulling him back up as best as its owner could. This initiative, weak though it was, proved enough for Zhao Yun. He gave one last powerful kick and heaved himself out of the river and onto the ship, where a coughing and rather unflatteringly drenched Xi Tian was waiting for him.

Zhao Yun tried to regain his breath as he wiped some water off his face, only to have his wet hair swing across his forehead and render his previous efforts in vain. Despite her own pitiful appearance, Xi Tian couldn't help but giggle at this sight.

"Here." She let go of Zhao Yun's arm and reached into her satiny rose sash, offering the Tiger General a completely soaked slip of embroidered silk that had once been her handkerchief.

Zhao Yun tried to act gallant about her useless gift.

"I will forever cherish this, fair Orchid," he told her dryly.

Knowing that his oath was made in jest, Xi Tian proceeded to laughingly wipe at his face with her handkerchief, purposely squirting more river water onto him.

At that moment, a voice spoke up from behind them, "What's going on here?"

The couple turned at hearing the drawling question, to find Liu Bei standing a few paces back, holding Zhao Yun's hastily discarded armor in one hand and wearing a look of amusement on his face.

Xi Tian and Zhao Yun guiltily pulled apart, as the former blushingly withdrew her hand from the latter's face and tossed her handkerchief into his lap.

"I…ah, fell into the water, and General Zhao, um, fished me out," she admitted in a tiny, embarrassed voice, while said general discreetly tucked away her handkerchief into his sleeve.

Liu Bei turned his head to hide a smile.

"That's very gallant of him," he remarked as he stepped forward to hand back Zhao Yun his armor—which the younger man accepted with a rather sheepish look—before adding with cheerful nonchalance, "Although I have to admit that when I came looking for my Tiger General, I didn't exactly expect to find him with my newest handmaid, holding each other on deck like a perfectly matched pair of _yuan yang(1)."_

_Was that actually a blush creeping up Zhao Yun's neck?_ the equally pink Xi Tian wondered to herself. Seeing the mirthful twinkle in Liu Bei's eyes, laughing at her and Zhao Yun's obvious discomfort, she wrinkled her nose and decided to turn the tables on the Shu king, unless she and Zhao Yun never wanted to live down this river episode.

With a well-practiced toss of her head so that her earrings danced merrily, Xi Tian began to prattle on about a certain princess in the most embarrassing and obnoxious way possible.

"Oh, but I'm sure that my Lord Liu Bei and his Lady Sun will make an even more perfect pair of _yuan yang,"_ she declared pertly. "Even better than _yuan yang,_ in fact: I'm sure you two will make an equally lovely pair of geese, or magpies, or chickens. Oh, if only a magical wind would come and sweep this ship to the South Land right this moment; what a delight it would be for all, to see my lord and his princess standing together like a beautifully matched set of poultry!"

Any other woman mentioned, and Liu Bei would have surely interpreted her comments as a deliberate insult. However, Xi Tian had been clever enough to drop the one name which would send a surefire red flush flooding the Shu king's face.

As it was, Liu Bei merely turned as crimson as Zhao Yun had been a few minutes earlier, and rather than chide Xi Tian on her horrible _yuan-yang_-and-true-love analogies, he merely mumbled, "We're almost at the Wu harbors; I should go and make the necessary…ah…preparations."

He ran off before the girl could prattle any more about Sun Shang Xiang or winged animals.

This lame excuse earned Liu Bei one last enthusiastic chatter of, "Oh, yes, my lord must look his handsomest for his first meeting with Lady Sun!" Xi Tian then turned around, only to see Zhao Yun giving her a strange look: a mixture of bewilderment, gratefulness, and almost amusement. She laughed at the confounded expression on his face, before asking innocently, "Silly little me; did I say something I shouldn't have?"

* * *

Aboard the second ship in the small Shu fleet, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood side-by-side on deck, looking out at an expanse of rolling, white-crested waves and wooden docks beyond. Apart from some local fishermen and a scattering of small children playing games in the sand, no other people could be seen…and certainly no high-ranking officers of Wu to greet their guests.

Understandably, both of the mighty Shu generals were more than a little bit miffed at this seeming snub.

"Wu were the ones who proposed this damn marriage alliance in the first place," Zhang Fei grumbled loudly. "The least those pretty boys could do is properly welcome our Elder Brother."

Guan Yu silently stroked his long, luxuriant black beard, indicating his agreement with a nod and a heavy sigh. The proud colossus looked like he was about to add his own opinion, when he abruptly frowned and squinted at what appeared to be a cloud of dust approaching the docks.

"Hn, looks like a welcoming committee wasn't forgotten, after all—it's just late," Guan Yu observed with a hint of contempt in his voice.

Meanwhile, the first ship in the Shu fleet docked at the port, and Liu Bei stepped out, accompanied on one side by Zhao Yun and on the other by Zhuge Liang.

At the same time, a black-and-blue Sun Ce—leading the equally battered Zhou Yu, Gan Ning, and Taishi Ci—dismounted from his horse and walked forward to welcome his noble guest.

* * *

_1. Mandarin duck. The Chinese believed that mandarin ducks were symbols of love—or, specifically, of a happily married couple, because they always appear in pairs: a male and a female._


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Sun Ce's Challenge

**Chapter Sixteen: Sun Ce's Challenge**

_In a desperate bid for time, the Little Conqueror proposes a rather unusual tournament._

* * *

Sun Ce gingerly leapt off his horse and came forward, painfully twisting his lips in an attempt at a smile. This only came off looking more like a crooked grimace than anything else, as he began to greet his guests.

"Welcome to the South Land, Lord Liu Bei," the first prince of Wu spoke up, and his equally pitiful crew echoed his words in varying degrees of mumbles.

Needless to say, their Shu counterparts couldn't help but stare, stupefied, at this bruised and battered gathering of officers. Liu Bei and Zhao Yun forced themselves to shake off their surprise first, and made polite replies of, "We're honored to be here," and the like. Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying offered similar gracious smiles—although the latter _did_ look rather perturbed by the black-and-blue sight in front of her. Huang Zhong followed in the couple's example, while Wei Yan, who had his white-and-green mask to hide behind as always, made a small effort to seem courteous by grunting one incomprehensible thing or another.

Tall and proud Guan Yu, on the other hand, merely swept the Southern officers with a look that was at once dignified and somewhat contemptuous, while Zhang Fei actually chortled before scoffing loudly, "What, did the pretty boys of Wu get beat up by some bandits on the way here?"

Zhou Yu gritted his teeth, shooting the swarthy Tiger General a look of icy anger, as Liu Bei hastily turned to his youngest oath brother to reprove, "Yide, you mustn't talk to our hosts in this manner."

Sun Ce triumphantly stuck his tongue out at the substantially larger and more powerful Zhang Fei while Liu Bei was facing the opposite direction, then quickly retracted it as soon as the Shu leader turned back around.

"Ah…right," the prince mumbled. "Let's just go to the palace; Pop and my Little Sis—uh, I mean, Lord Sun Wentai and Lady Sun—are waiting."

* * *

The early-morning sunlight found Wu's tomboyish princess inside the palace grounds, practicing archery…

…On a pair of life-sized straw dummies that bore rather remarkable resemblances to certain Southern officers. One had scraggly hay pouring down its shoulders and the name Zhou Yu pasted across its heart. The other model's straw hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and tacked across its front were simply two words: Eldest Brother.

Sun Shang Xiang made a picture of the perfect archer, standing tall and proud, her bow held expertly in her hands, a full quiver slung across her back. She appeared to be fully focused on the task at hand, and her concentration was obviously paying off: so far, not one of her arrows had missed its target.

At the same time, two silhouettes could be seen skulking and creeping amidst the vines and brambles, and making considerable noise despite their obvious attempts at being furtive.

"My lord, I don't feel it's in my place as a humble officer to…ah, ambush Lady Sun like this," the smaller of the two whispered nervously.

His older counterpart gave an impatient huff, replying in a clipped tone, "We don't have any other choice. My sister refuses to this marriage alliance, and won't even meet Lord Liu Bei. Unless we, ah, _subdue_ her and bring her to the banquet, Shu will more likely than not get offended at her snub. Only Heaven knows what that could lead to!"

Sun Quan stepped into view, a few twigs and leaves sticking out of his thick beard, his right hand holding on to a coiled length of rope. Beside him stood the boyish and deceptively guileless-looking Lu Xun, wearing a rather uncomfortable expression on his face as he listened to his prince's argument.

The seventeen-year-old youth hesitated as he observed another arrow fly from Sun Shang Xiang's bow, and appeared to consider holding back. However, at the none-too-gentle prod from the princess's second brother, Lu Xun reluctantly began sneaking forward.

"Yahhhhhhhh!" With a daunting battle cry, he charged at Sun Shang Xiang, intending to hold her down while her brother bound her hands and feet like their half-baked plan called for.

His target, however, merely stepped aside so that the young strategist ran right past her. In a single swift motion, Sun Shang Xiang pulled Lu Xun's fancy scarlet hat over his eyes while he was in the process of diving back at her.

"Don't worry, Boyan! I'm coming!" Sun Quan now rushed out, bravely brandishing his rope…only to trip over his royal robes at the last minute, falling flat on his nose a good distance from his sister.

Sun Shang Xiang surveyed her two fallen foes, shaking her head and not even making the slightest effort to hide her wide smirk of triumph.

"Men!" she sighed contemptuously, before sidestepping both the dazedly spinning Lu Xun and the facedown Sun Quan, as she headed toward her own courts.

* * *

Outside the palace gates, Sun Ce was happily unaware of his younger brother's sad defeat. Instead, the first prince busied himself with playing host to Shu, as he and the rest of his little entourage led their honored guests to meet the latters' future queen.

As he passed beneath the arching red gates of the Wu palace, Sun Ce noticed out of the corner of his eyes a solitary black flag hung up as a signal, and realized to his dismay that his brother and Lu Xun must have failed.

Zhou Yu also saw the flag, and spurred his horse forward until he was neck-in-neck with his sworn brother.

Then, the strategist slowed down and whispered, "Now what?"

Sun Ce grumbled out some curses about Sun Quan and Lu Xun's incompetence, before hissing back, "Now we stall for time, until my Little Sis agrees to come out!"

"It will take a divine miracle," Zhou Yu predicted darkly.

Having done his dabbling in fortune-telling and the Heavens for the day, Zhou Yu then rode back to the Shu party.

"Gentlemen, it is a time-honored Southern tradition to put on a fan dance for all visitors to the palace," he announced graciously.

Liu Bei leaned back slightly on his saddle, a look of surprise flashing across his features. Before he could utter a single word, though, his youngest brother Zhang Fei had already demanded brusquely, "Since when?

Zhou Yu seethed in annoyance, but before he could ruin the Wu-Shu relations with an equally tart retort, Sun Ce hurried back to salvage the situation.

"Oh, it's a really long story," the dashing prince declared cheerfully.

Then, remembering that Wu's best interest right now was to stall, he improvised, "So allow me to give you the shortened version. It all started with the legend of the Moon Goddess, Chang'e_(1),_ and her ascent to the Heavens…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sun Quan and Lu Xun—the former having changed out of his fancy robes, the latter sans his ornamental hat—were heading toward Sun Shang Xiang's court. Each was carrying a lacquered black tray bearing a single silver goblet.

"My brother entrusted us to succeed at all costs," Sun Quan muttered darkly to himself, "so this plan had better work."

Lu Xun shrugged, nearly spilling half the contents of his goblet in the process.

"Well, it's the best I could come up with on such short notice, and being explicitly forbidden from using fire," he huffed in his own defense.

"We can't burn down my sister's courts and expect to catch her as she's fleeing from the flames!" Sun Quan almost screeched. "It'll set off a chain reaction and burn down the entire palace as well!"

Lu Xun hid a subtle look of annoyance.

"Fine. Then we'll just have to go to Lady Sun under the pretense of apologizing for the earlier, ah, _incident,"_ he finished delicately. "She'll have to accept the wine as a peace offering, but since she's not used to alcohol, she should mellow out after a few sips."

"Then, we can lead her out to welcome Shu, and when she meets her future husband for the first time, she'll actually be calm and demure for a change—well, sort of," Sun Quan finished.

* * *

"…And then, during the Spring and Autumn Period, when the ancient beauty Xi Shi_(2)_ was on her way to the State of Wu, she stopped at a shrine to the…ah…Dumpling Fairy, and performed a fan dance asking for strength…" Sun Ce blissfully babbled on.

* * *

Sun Quan and Lu Xun walked across the palace grounds, agreeing that theirs was a good enough plan…until they arrived at Sun Shang Xiang's court, and found the way barred by twin rows of her spear-and-sword-toting bodyguards.

As per their mistress's command, these trained females immediately crossed their flashing steel weapons into menacing rows of X's upon sight of the two men.

* * *

"…And then, the lovely Han palace maid Wang Zhao Jun_(3)_ dazzled the barbaric Xiong-nu king with the graceful and refined way she flapped her fans around…"

* * *

Sun Quan and Lu Xun gulped at the sight of all the flashing steel blocking their way, before wasting no time in turning around and heading back.

* * *

"…Now, it's a popular misconception that Lady Meng Jiang_(4)_ shook the Great Wall with her tears, but we Southerners have traditionally believed that she really shook the Great Wall by performing an interpretive dance asking the Jade Emperor in the Heavens to unearth her dead husband…"

* * *

**Two hours and several frantic consultations with a book of folklore later…**

"…And so, in conclusion, here at Wu, we always put on a fan dance for palace visitors, to show that we bestow upon them the magic of Chang'e, the grace of Wang Zhao Jun, and the strength of the, ah, Dumpling Fairy," Sun Ce finally finished.

A universal—albeit quite well-concealed, for the most part—sigh of relief greeted those two magical words: "In conclusion."

Liu Bei and the majority of his officers pretended they hadn't noticed the mind-grating boredom of Sun Ce's wandering tall tale, and instead generously doled out looks of polite interest and declarations that they never knew Wu had such a rich and fascinating fan dance history.

Zhou Yu then proceeded to announce, "Ah, but we must have tired you with our trivial stories. I am certain you are all eager to proceed inside…"

Slowly, the blank looks of lethargy began to seep out of the Shu officer's features. These were replaced by some hints of life and interest again at the prospect of finally accomplishing their objective—solidifying their national relations with Wu.

Until Zhou Yu finished his sentence.

"I am certain you are all eager to proceed inside…and enjoy our traditional Wu fan dance," the handsome strategist proclaimed majestically.

Before Shu could recover from its surprise, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were hastily ushered into the main courtyard, where they began to perform a slow, elaborate fan dance that was, at first, quite beautiful to watch…

…Only after one solid hour of the two lovely sisters' performance, their dance had morphed from slow to tedious, and from elaborate to downright overdone.

Zhou Yu, seeing the irritability on Guan Yu's face, the mounting anger on Zhang Fei's face, and the politely veiled boredom on everybody else's faces, decided that he and Sun Ce couldn't use the fan dance excuse any longer—not without risking a Wu massacre.

The music was abruptly cut, the Qiao sisters interrupted in mid-step, and the Shu party was tactfully led inside the palace.

"Surely you're all anxious to meet Lady Sun," said young lady's brother spoke up, while at the same time searching the walls for that telltale flag from Sun Quan and Lu Xun.

Two little troopers were occupied in one corner with hanging up just that banner. Seeing the same black one of defeat being inevitably unfurled, Sun Ce cursed under his breath while simultaneously searching for yet another excuse to push back the meeting between the future groom and bride.

The prince paused and turned on his heels, effectively stopping the procession.

Striding over to Liu Bei, he proceeded to lie through his teeth, "My lord, here in Wu, it is also customary for the eldest brother of the bride-to-be to fight her fiancé before the two can meet."

Liu Bei was naturally taken aback by the abruptness of the declaration. He glanced around in confusion, and looked like he wanted to protest—but seeing that Sun Ce was already brandishing his tonfas, he eventually had no choice but to begin unsheathing the Gold Moon Dragon.

Zhou Yu stepped forward to announce the rules of the contest.

"The brother versus groom duel will consist of thr—_five_ separate tournaments," he declared, causing all the members of Shu to nearly drop their weapons in surprise and frustration.

Pretending to not have noticed this noisy reaction, Zhou Yu calmly continued, "These five tournaments will be as follows: hand-to-hand combat, fighting with weaponry, strategic warfare, mounted dueling, and team fighting, in which both combatants are allowed to pick a partner of their choice. There is no time limit. The first tournament—hand-to-hand combat—will now begin."

* * *

_1. The legend of Chang'e: The Chinese goddess of the Moon, and widely regarded as the loveliest fairy in Heaven. According to popular folklore, Chang'e was once the mortal wife of a young archer hero who shot down nine of the ten suns that were blazing in the sky and burning up the Earth below as a result. His reward from the celestial deities was an elixir of life. If he and his wife were to share it, they would both enjoy eternal happiness, but if only one takes the elixir, that one alone will become an immortal. Chang'e, for one reason or another, decides to take this elixir by herself, and as soon as she does, she begins rising through the air until she eventually floats to the Moon._

_2. Xi Shi: A historical figure, she is said to be the prettiest of the Four Beauties of ancient China (these four being Xi Shi, Wang Zhao Jun, Diao Chan—yes, the same Dynasty Warriors Diao Chan—and Yang Guifei). Xi Shi lived in the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period, when China was split into several warring kingdoms battling for control. Noticing her great beauty, the king of Yue presented her as a gift to his greatest enemy, the king of Wu. Once in Wu, Xi Shi seduced its king so that he completely abandoned affairs of state to be with her, and even waged futile wars against neighboring kingdoms and executed his most talented prime minister at her goading. Seeing the decline of Wu brought on by Xi Shi's clever manipulations, the king of Yue swept in and soundly defeated his rival._

_3. Wang Zhao Jun: The second of the Four Beauties, Wang Zhao Jun is also an actual historical figure, who lived during the Han Dynasty. To build goodwill with the barbarian tribe of the Xiong-nu, the Emperor promised their king a Chinese princess for a bride. He instead picked from amongst his many consorts one whom he assumed was rather plain-looking to marry the barbarian leader. When sent for, this consort—Wang Zhao Jun—turned out to be the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Back then, emperors would select a consort to spend time with them by looking at a portrait of her, rather than looking at the actual girl. Yet the Han Emperor had never selected Wang Zhao Jun, because her portrait had depicted her as rather homely. It turned out that she had refused to bribe the artist painting the imperial consorts' pictures, and for revenge, he purposely portrayed her unflatteringly in his scroll. The Emperor was very upset at losing Wang Zhao Jun, yet he couldn't break his word, so he regretfully sent her to the Xiong-nu king as promised. To alleviate his distress, he executed the greedy artist._

_There are paintings online of all four ancient beauties, in case anybody's curious to see a more traditional portrayal of Diao Chan, or wants to do some comparing between the four ladies. Since the admin at FF don't seem too thrilled about posting websites inside stories, I've instead put up the address in my profile, so anybody who's curious can check out the pictures there._

_4. The legend of Lady Meng Jiang: Lady Meng Jiang was a virtuous and beautiful girl who lived during the reign of the First Emperor of China. She was in love with a handsome young scholar named Wan Xiliang, but on the day of their wedding, he was drafted by Qin officers to construct the Great Wall of China. Winter arrived, but still Wan Xiliang didn't return, so his wife decided to go to the Great Wall and bring him some warm clothes. When she finally got there, she found out that her husband had been worked to death during his first month of labor. For three days Lady Meng Jiang wept in grief, until a section of the Great Wall collapsed, spilling the bones of Wan Xiliang. This drew the attention of the Emperor, who, seeing the beauty of Lady Meng Jiang, sought to make her his consort. She agreed, provided that her first husband be given an honorable burial at sea. This was speedily arranged for, and once on the open waters, Lady Meng Jiang suddenly leapt off the ship and drowned herself to join her husband in death._


	17. Chapter Seventeen: The Orchid and the Dr...

**Chapter Seventeen: The Orchid and the Dragon**

_A gallant officer, a spirited handmaid…and a warhorse named White Bunny._

* * *

Xiahou Dun stood dashingly aboard the deck of a small but swift wooden sloop as it cut efficiently across the waters of the Chang Jiang. Its crew bypassed some of the more convenient, popular ports, choosing instead to dock at an obscure little wharf where the only witnesses to the Wei general's arrival were a scattering of ignorant old fishermen.

Upon feeling the gentle bump of the ship stopping against the sandy shores, Xiahou Dun prepared to disembark.

Turning to his crew, the fearsome one-eyed warrior ordered brusquely, "Wait here; I shouldn't be gone too long."

With those stern words, he threw on a long, black cloak over his handsome armor, pulling the hood low over his face in an effort to be less identifiable by his one glaring eye.

* * *

A flash of steel glinted harshly in the sunlight when tonfa met with sword blade. Inside the Wu palace grounds, Sun Ce and Liu Bei progressed into the second tournament—fighting with weaponry—of their brother versus groom duel. Most of their audience seemed enthralled by the fight…if only because each individual member was rooting for his or her respective side.

Sun Ce unleashed a lightning-fast volley of spinning strikes with the Overlord; his opponent blocked the majority of these with the Gold Moon Dragon, but was forced to at one point slide quickly to one side to avoid having his skull crushed in, and the fight raged on.

Xi Tian alone frowned with bored impatience, as she watched the two supposed allies attempt to kill each other with moves that alternated from breathtaking to inanely primitive. Having pledged allegiance to neither of the two kingdoms, the nineteen-year-old could only think that at the rate all this ridiculous slashing and clobbering was going on, she was going to be stuck outside all day and all night.

Just as Xi Tian was beginning to seriously lament her fate, a Shu footsoldier discreetly entered and made a beeline for Zhao Yun. Whatever he whispered into the young warrior's ear must have astonished him, for Zhao Yun's eyes widened in surprise before the infantryman had even finished relaying his message. He then hastily strode up to Zhuge Liang, and after a few hushed words, the latter nodded understandingly and excused his third Tiger General.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of golden eyes had been watching their exchange with a spark of curiosity. Xi Tian now saw an opportunity to do something—_anything_—other than watch this endless dueling between Liu Bei and Sun Ce, when Zhao Yun started to make an inconspicuous exit.

As subtly as she knew how, she hurried up to the warrior and asked, "Are you going somewhere, General Zhao? Please, may I come with you?"

Zhao Yun shifted on his feet, an uncertain expression on his face as he told her, "I'm only leaving because my horse escaped from the stable, and now it's my responsibility to lead him back—it'll hardly be a task that you might find entertaining, Orchid."

Zhuge Liang, however, who'd read the poorly-concealed boredom on Xi Tian's face, smiled knowingly to himself before instructing his general, "Zilong, you may as well take the girl with you. She probably doesn't find long duels all that entertaining, either."

Zhao Yun looked a bit confused, but quickly shook it off. Acquiescing with a good-natured nod, he proceeded to lead Xi Tian out of the palace and onto the busy, noisy streets of Jianye with an affable instruction of, "This way, then, Orchid."

* * *

Xiahou Dun growled with impatience as he roughly pushed his way through the crowds, intent on finding the girl and giving her Lord Cao Cao's letter. His predecessor, Zhang He, had eloquently described Xi Tian as being an "exquisite blossom of a maiden, with raven hair and eyes like a pair of beautiful golden stars." Unfortunately, however, such flowery words had little meaning for the elder of the two Xiahou brothers.

Then there was also the fact that Zhang He's task had been much easier, since he'd had a portrait of Xi Tian to help him identify her. But the narcissistic idiot had sold the painting somewhere between Jingzhou and Xuchang, in exchange for a worthless butterfly trinket which had momentarily caught his fancy. This left Xiahou Dun with the rather annoying task of checking every pretty young brunette in Wu for golden eyes.

The tall Wei general randomly yanked a jet-haired girl of about nineteen or twenty for inspection, then flung her aside when her eyes turned out to be a pale shade of almond. His upper lip curled over his teeth in an angry snarl, as he started to realize that, contrary to what he'd told his crew, it was beginning to look more and more like he _would_ be gone for a long time after all.

* * *

At the same time, Zhao Yun was walking down a bustling street while holding his tall white horse by the reins. By his side was Xi Tian, wearing a sheepish smile on her face as her companion posed a question to her.

"I'm rather curious, Orchid," Zhao Yun was saying, "as to how my warhorse came to be renamed White Bunny."

Upon leaving the palace, the young warrior had tried every trick he knew to recover his rebellious steed. Unfortunately, the narrow, bustling streets of Jianye had severely limited his most effective methods.

In the end, it was the innocuous-looking handmaid beside him who had, surprisingly, tamed his horse long enough for Zhao Yun to recover it.

"Little White Bunny, come back," she'd called pertly after the snorting beast.

As soon as it heard its new moniker, the fierce charger had, indeed, stopped long enough for its master to seize its reins.

Now, Xi Tian attempted to palm off a high-spirited laugh to cover up her embarrassment at having her little secret flushed out.

"Is White Bunny really that terrible a name?" she wheedled, flashing the young officer her sweetest smile. "After all, if the great General Guan Yunchang rides a red warhorse named Red Hare, why shouldn't the Great General Zhao Zilong ride a white warhorse named White Bunny?"

Zhao Yun arched an eyebrow at her charming but rather unsatisfactory explanation. He was going to take a lot of flak from the other officers once they found out that the Little Dragon of Changshan would now be riding into battle atop a stallion named White Bunny, of all things!

"Is that why you insisted on coming along? Because you knew you were the only one who could get, ah, White Bunny back?" he guessed, deciding that one warhorse with a ridiculously cute name wasn't so terrible that he couldn't forgive its namer.

Xi Tian, caught up in trying to catch a view of some performing street acrobats, failed to think of a more tactful reply and instead blurted out the first words that sprang to her lips.

"Oh, no," she answered, truthfully and without thinking. "It's just that I needed an excuse to get out; it was so boring watching two grown men try to clobber each other to death for hours on end!"

Zhao Yun chuckled at her unwittingly candid response, while Xi Tian realized what she'd just said, and began to blush.

"Stop laughing!" she huffed in annoyance, pulling a pink lotus flower from her hair and throwing it at his face.

Zhao Yun brushed the little ornamental projectile off his nose with a careless grin, before laughingly challenging its thrower, "Is that the best you can do?"

Lips set in a rather childish pout, Xi Tian attempted to slap him on the chest next, but only ended up hurting her hand on his tough silver armor, causing an unconcealed twinkle of mirth to flash across his eyes. Xi Tian gingerly clutched her hand and gave a soft sigh, turning away as if she'd somehow injured it. When a concerned Zhao Yun drew closer and leaned down to check on her, she suddenly twirled back around and playfully tweaked his nose with her supposedly "injured" hand.

Zhao Yun half-gasped, half-croaked in surprise, while Xi Tian giggled merrily at the success of her little trick.

After recovering from his initial surprise, Zhao Yun drew himself to his full height and demanded in mock anger, "So you think you're clever, little Orchid?"

"Compared to you, I must be," Xi Tian playfully fired back.

Hearing this, the Tiger General opened his mouth, about to retort. At that moment, however, his newly-renamed horse accidentally knocked over a wooden booth, spilling neatly-stacked oranges all over the street.

At the same time, Xi Tian was abruptly yanked into an obscure side street.

When Zhao Yun had finished apologizing to the irate shop owner, and had helped her reorganize her products, Xi Tian was gone.

Zhao Yun turned around in a full circle, calling out quizzically, "Orchid?"

How could the girl have just disappeared during the brief moment his back was turned?

* * *

At the Wu palace, Sun Quan and Lu Xun appeared to be fretting over something of great importance, speaking in hushed whispers and gesturing frantically. The former appeared to be trying to convince the latter of something; this one kept refusing with equal parts politeness and adamancy.

Just as Lu Xun burst forth with an enigmatic cry of, "I have to use peaches? But they'll bruise too easily!" Sun Jian strode up to the duo.

At Sun Quan's none-too-subtle prod, the two immediately fell silent and dipped down in respectful bows.

The king of Wu looked surprisingly hopeful as he bid his officers to straighten up.

"Lady Wu has given her consent that Lord Liu Bei may meet with Shang Xiang," Sun Jian explained by means of clarifying his cheerful mood. "If the girl likes him and wants to marry him, then that's her choice to make. However, if she _doesn't_ want to marry him…"

Here, his smile drooped a notch, as he finished glumly, "If Shang Xiang doesn't like Lord Liu Bei, then we'll have to find another way to align ourselves with Shu."

Lu Xun and Sun Quan lowered their eyes and shuffled around, mumbling something under their breaths and generally looking not quite as exulted about this news as the latter's father had expected of them.

"What's wrong?" Sun Jian asked sharply, shooting the two young men a suspicious glare.

These ones stalled with admirable Sun Ce-esque quality, but eventually coughed up the answer.

"My lord, we can't find Lady Sun anywhere!" Lu Xun finally admitted.

* * *

Xiahou Dun pinned his newest unfortunate victim against the walls, holding her shoulders down and tilting her chin up so that he could examine her face.

Noticing a particular feature, the formidable Wei warrior growled in a low voice, "Golden eyes—you must be the girl!"

Roughly releasing his captive, Xiahou Dun stepped back and wrenched off his heavy, hooded cloak. One eye glared coldly at the girl before him; the other was covered by a strip of dull gold cloth tied diagonally across his forehead.

"Xi Tian of Jingzhou?" he asked harshly, and at her wary nod, proceeded to introduce himself: "I'm General Xiahou Dun—"

Before he could go on, though, Xi Tian had echoed his name with a look of dawning recognition seeping into her features.

"Xiahou…Xiahou…Ah! Aren't you that same warrior who once got shot in the eye?" Xi Tian squealed. "And didn't you pull the arrow out and then ate your own eye?"

Xiahou Dun scowled at her pesky questions and nonsensical gabbling…but unfortunately for him, Xi Tian was just getting warmed up.

"Does it still hurt? Can you feel anything at all?" she trilled on in happy oblivion.

Then, with a surge of Heaven-granted courage (or perhaps just plain foolishness), she began poking around his eye with her little finger.

"Can you feel this?" she wanted to know.

Stoic silence was her reply, encouraging her to pull out her gold _chai(1)_ from her hair next, and begin jabbing it at the cloth which protected Xiahou Dun's empty socket.

A blue vein on Xiahou Dun's forehead began throbbing dangerously, but when Xi Tian failed to take the hint—or rather, the warning sign—the irascible swordsman angrily punched the wall behind her head. Out of vengeance, he wrenched the _chai_ out of her hands, easily bending the hair ornament in half between his powerful fingers.

"Here are your new instructions," he snapped in a harsh voice, simultaneously thrusting Cao Cao's letter into her hands.

Xi Tian, after grieving over the irreparable mangling of her favorite gold _chai,_ reluctantly unfolded the draft and began to read. Its first line obviously caught her by surprise, for she cried out questioningly, "How's _that_ going to create dissension?"

But when she looked up, Xiahou Dun was gone.

At the same time, a second male voice—this one thankfully much nicer in tone—called out in audible relief, "Orchid!"

Xi Tian whirled around, guiltily hiding the letter behind her back when she recognized Zhao Yun standing at the mouth of the alley.

"Why did you suddenly run off?" the young officer of Shu questioned her as he began to escort her back to the Wu palace.

His only response was an unsatisfyingly vague half-whisper of, "No particular reason."

Zhao Yun didn't press her…but he did notice that Xi Tian was growing quieter and more distracted with each step.

* * *

The brother-groom duel between Sun Ce and Liu Bei finally arrived at its fifth and final tournament: team fighting. The young prince had naturally chosen his best friend and sworn brother, Zhou Yu, to be his partner. Over on the Shu side, however, things weren't progressing quite as smoothly.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were arguing amongst themselves about who deserved to be Liu Bei's partner. The former spoke in strong, dignified tones as he asserted his seniority, the latter blustered and cursed freely as he fired back claims that he was tougher.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-groom could only watch in helpless frustration as his two sworn brothers readied themselves to duel each other to see who was strong enough to merit their Elder Brother's partnership.

"Veteran General Huang," Liu Bei finally summoned, deciding that to save time, he really ought to bypass his own brothers and instead pick the oldest of his four Tigers.

Thankfully, at that moment, a haggard and exhausted-looking Sun Quan burst in.

"Stop the dueling!" he wheezed, trying to both catch his breath and make his announcement as grand-sounding as possible. "Lady Sun is ready to meet Lord Liu Bei!"

* * *

_1. Hair pin_


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Debut of Princess ...

**Chapter Eighteen: The Debut of Princess Sun Shang Xun**

_A young—but peculiarly masculine—"princess" is introduced to her fiancé._

* * *

Sun Ce lifted one brow in a questioning look.

"What did you say?" he demanded, absently twirling his tonfas around as he tried to decipher what his brother had just wheezed out. "Tra-la-la is ready to make meat buns with bored babies?"

Sun Quan, understandably, shot him a disgusted look.

"No!" he gritted out through clenched teeth. "I _said_ Lady Sun is ready to meet with Lord Liu Bei!"

"That's great," Sun Ce spoke without much interest, before turning back to face Shu and challenging, "Lord Liu Bei, choose your partner now—Wait a minute!"

Abruptly, he spun back around and stalked up to his younger brother, holding him by the shoulders and nearly throttling him in his enthusiasm.

"Is it true? Little Sis actually agreed to come out!" he asked in an unnecessarily loud voice.

_"Yes,"_ Sun Quan hissed, "so please lower your voice before the people of Shu begin to suspect something!"

Sun Ce whooped and raised one tonfa-holding fist in victory, nearly thwacking his brother in the nose. After he'd regained his composure and avoided Sun Quan's retaliatory punch, he strode over to Liu Bei and invited with a clumsy bow that was meant to look gracious, "Lord Liu Bei, this way, please."

Sun Quan gave a nervous cough, and broke in hastily, "Actually, Lady Sun isn't quite that ready yet. She still needs about an hour or so to…um…do her hair. You know how women are."

Liu Bei heaved a tired sigh, wearily trying to separate his two bickering sworn brothers and signaling by a nod of his head that he understood what the younger prince of Wu was nervously gabbling about.

"Lord Liu Bei, please excuse my elder brother and I," Sun Quan requested apologetically. "In the meantime, a pageboy will lead you to your quarters, where you may await Lady Sun's debut."

And having thus spoken, he attempted to yank Sun Ce to a more private corner where he could unload his troubles without being likely overheard.

Sun Ce turned and pointed to the nearest servant he could find—a young, dark-skinned boy of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed from head to toe in gold-edged maroon and wearing a matching scarf knotted tightly around his head.

"You, go attend to our honored guests," the twenty-six-year-old prince hollered, while at the same time trying to prevent his overzealous brother from dislocating his shoulder in the latter's attempt at pulling him out of Shu's earshot.

The pageboy hid a scowl at Sun Ce's rudely-barked order, and as soon as his prince's back was turned, he wasted no time in wrinkling his nose and impertinently sticking his tongue out at his master. This went unnoticed by Sun Ce, but unfortunately for the pageboy, the sharper-eyed Sun Quan caught this impudent gesture, and frowned. The bratty little pageboy sheepishly retracted his tongue and tried to look as innocent as possible, as Sun Quan ratted him out to Sun Ce, who stalked over and peered suspiciously at his servant.

"I don't think I've seen you before," the prince murmured thoughtfully, tilting the young lad's chin toward him while screwing together his brows in concentration. "What's your name?"

To this, the pageboy had a ready answer.

"The other servants call me Ren Er_(1),"_ he replied cheerfully.

Sun Quan moved closer, and also examined the pageboy. He, apparently, hadn't noticed Ren Er before either, for he then demanded, "To whose court do you belong?"

"To General Zhou Tai's," came the prompt reply.

The two Suns, seeing that Zhou Tai was absent from the entourage and as such they couldn't readily question him about Ren Er, decided to drop the case and move on with their own business.

"Then go on and escort Lord Liu Bei to his quarters, Ren Er," the elder of the duo ordered carelessly, before allowing himself to be dragged off to his brother's courts.

* * *

Upon arriving, the sight that greeted his eyes there was apparently shocking enough for Sun Ce's jaws to almost hit the floor.

Lu Xun was sitting in Sun Quan's chamber, tied with rope to a chair and angrily kicking his legs back and forth while at the same time trying his best to whine and protest through his gag.

Sun Ce turned and stared at his brother with a disgusted look on his face, causing said brother to turn as red as the tiger flags of Wu and hastily explain, "It isn't what you think!"

The elder prince frowned suspiciously.

"Why is Lu Xun bound and gagged, in _your_ room?" he voiced in a wary tone, indiscreetly inching several steps away from his brother in anticipation of the worst possible answer.

"Remember when I came in and told you to stop the dueling, because our sister had agreed to meet with Lord Liu Bei?" Sun Quan stammered nervously.

Sun Ce arched a brow.

"Yeah?" he prodded.

"Well…I was lying," the younger Sun admitted. "She disappeared after me and Lu Xun tried to, um, _subdue_ her, and we can't find her anywhere!"

"But Bro—why tie Lu Xun up for your incompetence?" Sun Ce wanted to know.

He soon decided that he didn't like the look that sprang into his younger brother's eyes at that question. It reminded him too much of the same look he'd seen mirrored in Gan Ning's eyes, the night he and the ex-pirate had decided to gamble three Southern cities on a single hand of cards.

As predicted, Sun Quan's response turned out to be an equally harebrained scheme.

"I was hoping to present a false Lady Sun to Lord Liu Bei until the search party finds her," the twenty-four-year-old revealed, "and Lu Xun's the only officer of Wu who's both small enough to pass off for a woman, and who also doesn't have any facial hair!"

* * *

Ren Er led the Shu party down the winding corridors of the palace, pausing before each door to introduce a particular guest room to its new resident. Soon, only the pageboy and Liu Bei himself were left.

As these two walked toward the court that Sun Jian had prepared for his distinguished guest, Ren Er casually struck up a conversation with the man so famed for his virtue and nobility.

"You don't seem too enthusiastic about marrying Lady Sun," the pageboy observed slyly, causing the king to cough and redden slightly at the ears.

"I apologize if I may have given off that impression," Liu Bei murmured. "After all, Lady Sun is a fine young woman. What man wouldn't be happy about making a match with such a smart and beautiful princess?"

Ren Er smirked upon hearing his obliging, obviously rehearsed reply.

"How do you know that she's a fine young woman?" he challenged boldly. "Shu is so far away from Wu—all you've heard about Lady Sun's intelligence and capabilities are rumors. Maybe they're just lies started by her father to inveigle you into coming here and then trapping you into a marriage alliance."

Liu Bei smiled; the pageboy was feisty, yes, on the point of being almost insolent. But years of dealing with Zhang Fei's outbursts had done an admirable job of de-sensitizing him to blunt remarks that would have been interpreted as offensive by others.

"They can't all be lies, not if even Cao Cao himself acknowledges the Sun Clan—_all_ members of the Sun Clan—as a viable threat to Wei," he spoke up mildly. "Besides, I don't have many rights to complain, when Lady Sun must be wondering the same things about me. It's a shame that, for the sake of her country, she is to have so little say about her own life."

They had reached Liu Bei's court by then. Ren Er strode up to the apartment and threw open the carved doors, before stepping aside so that his guest might enter.

"Now that I've safely shown you where your quarters will be, are you going to box my ears for daring to speak so impertinently to you?" he sassed, while dropping a sloppy bow by the heavy portieres.

Liu Bei looked genuinely surprised, and a little bit amused, by his words.

"Ren Er—do you know what I was before I established the Shu-Han?" he asked.

The young lad leaned back, surprised at having his question answered by a question.

"Of course," he spoke up defensively. "You were a merchant, right?"

Liu Bei smiled.

"That's a rather interesting euphemism," he mused mildly. "No, Ren Er—I was a street peddler of sandals and straw mats. As a result, I know better than to mistreat common people, for I was born commoner than most men, and I'll remain that way even if I become the Emperor of China."

His pageboy nearly fell down from surprise.

"But you're the Imperial Uncle, and the king of Shu," he spluttered. "How can you come from such a rabble stock?"

"The founder of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu_(2),_ was himself a mere peasant," Liu Bei gently reminded the stubborn little valet. "I find no shame in my past occupation, Ren Er."

Having thus spoken, he bowed politely to his stunned-looking attendant and retreated into his apartment, leaving the latter to look after his departing back with a thoughtful expression on his face.

* * *

"And glide…and glide…and turn…and pivot…" Sun Ce was coaching clumsily, taking what he thought were light, graceful steps and exaggeratedly swinging his hips from side to side with each movement.

Sun Quan, watching the scenario unfold before him, clicked his tongue in annoyance before remarking, "You look like a waddling mother duck, dear brother!"

Sun Ce whirled around in a decidedly unfeminine manner.

"Well, _I'm_ the one who's married to one of the Two Qiaos," he snapped hotly, "so naturally _I_ should be the one deciding how beautiful women walk!"

The miserable object of their squabble continued to stumble around with difficulty, in a pathetic imitation of Sun Ce's "feminine glide."

Lu Xun tripped ungracefully over the misty waves of palest red silk that cascaded around his legs, at the same time trying to prevent the two giant peaches stuffed over his chest from slipping down to his navel. His head was so weighed down with ornamental flowers and jewelry—clusters of fragrant roses and lilies, frothy peach and orange blossoms, exquisite _chais_ made of carved jade and encrusted with precious rubies and pearls, golden phoenixes ready to take flight from his bangs, dangling emeralds shaped like teardrops—that he was having difficulty holding his chin up.

"Lu Xun, stop dawdling! My old nanny can walk faster than that!"

Apparently, Sun Ce had extricated himself from his quarrel with his brother to nag at the hapless young strategist.

Lu Xun stopped gliding, and turned to his prince to explain for his lack of speed.

"I'm afraid to move too fast," the handsome, boyish youth whined. "That might jolt my peaches, and then they'll bruise and fall down!"

Sun Ce heaved an irritated sigh.

"Lu Xun, what have I told you about your voice?" he demanded sternly.

Lu Xun sighed.

"I'm sorry," he squeaked in a nasal, high-pitched trill—a trill which, apparently, the first prince of Wu thought was what women sounded like when they spoke.

Sun Ce nodded in satisfaction.

"Good," he declared pleasedly. "Looks like Lord Liu Bei's bride is now ready to meet her groom!"

* * *

Liu Bei was unable to contain an uneasy frown when he saw the looks in Sun Ce and Sun Quan's eyes as they propelled him toward their sister's court.

"We apologize for the delay," the younger of the two princes was saying, "but our sister has finally finished getting ready."

Within minutes, the three men had arrived at Sun Shang Xiang's courts. Sun Quan and Liu Bei stopped before a pearl curtain, while Sun Ce strode toward the rope controlling the slender beaded strands.

"Lord Liu Bei, the kingdom of Wu is proud to present your future bride, Princess Sun Shang Xiang," he announced grandly.

The pearl curtain was yanked wide open, and a small figure—heavily veiled and virtually hidden underneath layers of rich, soft red silk—reluctantly stepped forward.

* * *

_1. "Er" is a unisex term for "child" or "little one," and in ancient China, particularly in the South, it was a common nickname that elders used to refer to their youngsters._

_2. The first emperor of the four-hundred-year Han Dynasty. Also known as Liu Bang._


	19. Chapter Nineteen: The Pitfalls of Overco...

**Chapter Nineteen: The Pitfalls of Overconfidence**

_Disregarding Lu Xun's worries about his "bosom" slipping out of his dress, Sun Ce confidently—and rather foolishly—sets a wedding date._

* * *

A gentle breeze blew soft clouds of peach blossoms across the air, songbirds lifted their voices in sweet, liquid melodies, and a pair of white swans, cold and proud like aristocrats, glided elegantly across the gentle green waters of a man-made lotus lake.

Amidst this setting of beauty and refinement gathered the officers of both Wu and Shu…although the party from the South was noticeably smaller than its western counterpart. Zhou Yu was away, having joined Sun Jian in distracting the redoubtable Lady Wu, lest that matriarch chance upon her cross-dressing "daughter." The majority of the other generals, under the solid leadership of Lu Meng, was discreetly combing the palace grounds in an effort to find the still-missing Sun Shang Xiang.

This left only the two princes, with their "little sister," to entertain the groom-to-be and his officers.

The two sides were seated around an ample table of carved, fragrant sandalwood, Wu on one side, Shu across from them. Upon the table were laid out porcelain cups of chrysanthemum tea, moon cakes of varying sizes and flavors, and a lush array of exotic fruits.

"Our dear little sister is honored to meet Lord Liu Bei," Sun Ce was happily blabbing, while he picked at a juicy pomegranate and stained his fingers a messy burgundy in the process.

He then prodded the unhappy Lu Xun, who hid his veiled face behind an elaborate fan and squeaked out dutifully, "This unworthy maiden is very honored to meet the Imperial Uncle."

Hearing Lu Xun's pitiful impersonation, the pageboy Ren Er, who was standing at a discreet corner of the garden to attend to whichever officer might need his services, exploded with uproarious hoots of laughter. His two princes whirled over to glare at the bratty valet, before Sun Quan had the sense to quickly turn back around and plaster an innocent, reassuring smile for his guests.

He then elbowed Lu Xun, who coughed awkwardly and stammered, "And, ah…I, Sun Shang Xiang, hope that together we may unite our two kingdoms and bring down the tyrant Cao Cao."

Liu Bei scratched his head in puzzlement. The small, demure figure seated before him appeared to be quite lovely, with a slim, delicate frame and a complexion as perfect as the finest white jade. Yet despite being opulently dressed in a striking carmine gown and seductive gossamer veils, there was something distinctively unfeminine about the way "Lady Sun" carried herself. The fact that Zhuge Liang, languidly fanning himself and leaving his tea untouched, seemed ready to burst into laughter every time he looked at his lord's future bride, wasn't exactly calming Liu Bei, either.

Nevertheless, to come out and accuse the princess of Wu of being manly would be a disastrous political move, so Liu Bei obligingly answered in a kind voice, "The people weren't lying when they said that Lady Sun is a woman blessed with both beauty and virtue."

He then cleared his throat, and motioned for somebody behind him to step forward.

Zhao Yun emerged from below an arching roof of magnolia branches, leading Xi Tian with him.

"I would like to present Lady Sun with an able handmaid from Guiyang. She is called Orchid," Liu Bei began, as Xi Tian smiled and dipped down in a well-practiced curtsey.

What could Lu Xun do? Bullied by Sun Ce and Sun Quan on both sides, he had no choice but to glide over to meet his new handmaid, bobbing a clumsy imitation of what he'd just seen Xi Tian perform. His unladylike gesture went thankfully unnoticed by the males; however, Xi Tian observed his clear nervousness and his almost comical lack of poise, and began to giggle. She frantically searched for her handkerchief to muffle her laughter, but as she'd given it away to Zhao Yun on the Chang Jiang, she had no choice but to hide her smile behind her hand.

Lu Xun looked slightly annoyed, but before he could speak up, he felt one of his "breasts" begin slipping down toward his navel. Frantically, he clutched an arm around his stomach to keep the peach from sliding out, raising his fan chest-level to hide his rather visual blunder while he righted himself from his awkward curtsey.

Meanwhile, Zhang Fei, bored with all the leisurely and time-consuming introduction ceremonies, was demanding, "When's the wedding going to take place?"

"Yide." Liu Bei turned around to chide his youngest sworn brother, at the same time that Sun Ce piped up confidently, "Well, since all the preparations are more or less complete, I think tomorrow night should be no problem."

Sun Quan almost fell down in shock. Grabbing his brother's sleeve and pulling him a few steps out of Liu Bei's earshot, he hissed furiously, _"Tomorrow night!_ Have you lost your mind?"

"Have a little respect, I'm older than you are," Sun Ce huffed importantly.

His younger brother rolled his eyes.

"Then start acting your age and think before you speak," he muttered under his breath.

"Don't try to pin the blame on me," Sun Ce protested defensively. "This will all work out just fine. I mean, how many places can one girl hide in? Lu Meng and the others will definitely find her long before tomorrow night's wedding ceremony."

Sun Quan, unsurprisingly, didn't look very convinced.

"Are you sure about that? Shang Xiang's very resourceful," he murmured uncertainly.

Sun Ce nonchalantly waved his hand back and forth, as the two rejoined Lu Xun in entertaining their guests from Shu.

"Positive. Mark my words; Little Sis will definitely be found before the wedding date," he boasted confidently.

* * *

**The Following Evening…**

"Lord Bofu, Lord Zhongmou, we still can't find Lady Sun."

Sun Quan, already dressed in the festive crimson robes of one attending a wedding ceremony, turned to his elder brother and had to resist the urge to clobber him over the head with the latter's own tonfas.

"Little Sis will definitely be found by tonight, huh?" he parroted angrily, nearly spitting the words out.

Sun Ce, decked out in equally dashing red attire, could only offer a sheepish grin.

"Well, what do you know; apparently there _are_ a lot of places one girl can hide in," he thoughtfully mused out loud.

Sun Quan hardly looked amused by this too-late epiphany.

"If only you hadn't set the wedding date for tonight—!" he started to bite out, shaking one finger accusingly at his brother and ignoring the latter's squawks about seniority and respect for elders.

Before Sun Quan could really work himself into a rage, however, the doors to the room were yanked wide open. A cardinal figure, enveloped in gold-fringed brocade, crashed through the heavy portieres.

"Lu Xun." Sun Ce stared down at his faux "little sister."

One russet eyebrow arched upwards questioningly, before the first prince of Wu added, "Where's your wedding veil?"

Lu Xun's head snapped up at his question—an admirable feat, considering all the excess jewelry and flowers that had been woven into his hair and were currently weighing down his scalp.

"M-m-my lord, you can't expect _me_ to marry Lord Liu Bei tonight if Lady Sun isn't found in time for the wedding?" he wheezed out a desperate protest, his voice rising several octaves with each word.

"Of course not!" Sun Quan firmly stepped in, before the cross-dressing madness could spiral out of control.

His reassurance seemed to calm the young strategist down, until Zhou Yu stepped primly inside and announced, "Lord Sun and Lady Wu are currently overseeing the final wedding preparations. Her Majesty is quite eager to meet her new son-in-law later tonight."

He then swept Lu Xun's appearance in a cool glance, before remarking with smooth sarcasm, "I see my wife and her sister have accomplished yet another hairdressing masterpiece."

Sun Quan trained an accusing glare on his brother when he heard his strategist's news, gritting out through clenched teeth, "Wonderful! So now Mother's expecting a son-in-law by tonight!"

Lu Xun's jaw trembled, while he blubbered with a sniff, "I'm only seventeen! How come I have to be married already…and to another _man,_ no less?"

Zhou Yu sighed, before turning to his best friend and inquiring, "What should we do?"

Sun Ce set his lips in a firm, straight line, before reaching up with both hands and beginning to heedlessly rip off his ornate wedding attire.

Lu Xun brightened up.

"Are you taking my place as the bride?" he asked hopefully.

Sun Quan rolled his eyes, Zhou Yu muttered under his breath, "Boyan, sometimes I have to question your intellect," and Sun Ce himself replied rather frostily, "I have facial hair; how do you expect me to pass off as a woman?"

After ridding himself of all his draping, clumsy red silk robes, the first prince of Wu picked up the Overlord. Expertly whirling his tonfas around, he began to march out of the room while declaring, "Now we resume stalling for time!"


	20. Chapter Twenty: Poetry and Preparations

**Chapter Twenty: Poetry and Preparations**

_Wei contemplates Man's place in Epic History; Shu contemplates how to properly put on an embroidered wedding robe._

* * *

The gardens of the Wei palace at twilight were undoubtedly matchless in their beauty and grace. A team of very talented architects, gardeners, and engineers had strived over a period of several years to breathe life into the series of sketches and designs of a pleasure ground fit for the gods themselves. The numerous intricate bridges and stone paths, exotic flora imported from all four corners of the Celestial Empire, and man-made lakes and mountains all stood testament to their grand vision and hard work.

Yet Lord Xi, pacing aimlessly across an artistically carved path, noticed none of the splendor surrounding him. How long had it been since Xi Tian had left for the uncertainties and potential danger of the Shu camp? Time seemed to have trickled down to a standstill ever since duty had called his third daughter away from the safety of his sphere of influence.

However, on that particular evening, Heaven appeared disinclined to allow Lord Xi to lament for too long. As the stately old gentleman stopped in the middle of a small white bridge, there floated to his ears a series of melodic, carefully-chosen words, spoken in the quiet, cultured tones of a youthful voice whose owner couldn't surpass two and ten years in age.

"O so vast, O so mighty," a young man recited, "The Great River rolls to sea."

Lord Xi stopped, and listened in appreciation, as the lines of poetry continued to tumble from their composer's lips at a slow, reflective pace.

"Flowers do waves thrash; Heroes do sands smash," flowed the next couplet. "When all the dreams drain."

Here, the poet paused, apparently at a loss for what the following line ought to be.

Lord Xi smiled to himself when he detected this uncertain stretch of silence, before crossing the remainder of the white bridge and generously offering the next line as he did so: "Same are lose and gain."

The mysterious poet looked up, surprise flashing across his soft brown eyes for a brief moment, before making way for a look of admiration at Lord Xi's skill with words.

He was, as bespoken by his voice, quite young for an officer of Wei—Lord Xi estimated the boy's age to be around that of his own daughter Xi Tian's. Reasonably tall and exceptionally good-looking, with long dark hair neatly pulled back from his face and smooth, winsome features, the young man immediately drew down in a respectful bow upon recognizing Lord Xi as one from an older generation, and thus automatically to be respected.

_"Da Ren(1),_ I hope my clumsy lyrics didn't disturb your walk?" he asked in the careful, courteous manner of one who's never been lacking in a fine education.

Lord Xi smiled benevolently in return, and gestured for the boy to straighten up.

"On the contrary, I am overjoyed to discover a fellow scholar in these chaotic and ruthless times," he reassured the youth. "I was hoping you would continue your poem. It would be a shame to leave such promising work unfinished."

The young man smiled modestly, before taking a few steps and making up the next couplet as he did so.

"Green mountains remain," he recited quietly, calmly, "As sunsets ingrain."

"Hoary fishers and woodcutters," Lord Xi stepped up to the challenge, providing the following verses, "And some small rafts and calm waters."

A stretch of silence followed his words, while the younger of the two poets pondered over how to follow up the lines provided by his elder. He never had a chance to demonstrate his verbal proficiency, however, when a new voice spoke up from behind the two.

"In autumn moon, in spring winds; By the wine jars, by porcelains."

The young man who emerged from behind a fragrant awning of jasmine vines was sinisterly handsome, possessing the cold, arresting beauty of a high-ranking aristocrat. His slender upper lip curved slightly in a half-smile, as he strode forward with his hands held behind his back and provided his audience with the finale of their collaborative poem.

"Discuss talk and tale; Only laugh and gale," the newcomer finished with a flair of majestic drama.

"General Sima Yi." The young officer saluted his superior, clasping his hands together by means of polite greeting.

"General Jiang Wei," the one thus addressed elegantly acknowledged his subordinate, before nodding in Lord Xi's direction and remarking, "I see you've been entertaining our honored guest, Lord Xi Wen Qing."

Hearing this particular name, nineteen-year-old Jiang Wei of Tianshui turned to the old gentleman and bowed low to show his respect. At the same time, he murmured reverently, "Then you must be the famous Xi _Da Ren,_ from Jingzhou City."

"There's no need to bow before a humble soul such as myself," Lord Xi replied, hastening to help the youth up.

Sima Yi, who'd been standing quietly as though engulfed in deep thought, now began to speak.

"General Jiang, our lord has called a meeting concerning future campaigns," he reminded the younger officer.

Jiang Wei nodded, then turned to Lord Xi, clinched both hands together, and formally excused himself: "Xi _Da Ren, gao ci(2)."_

With these words, he turned to follow Sima Yi to the assembly hall, where the rest of Wei's generals were gathering to discuss battle plans with their king.

Lord Xi stared after the retreating backs of Jiang Wei and Sima Yi, a look of unmistakable admiration in his eyes.

"Who would have thought," he murmured to himself, "that in such brutal times of war as these, there might still be intellectuals in the empire?"

* * *

A hundred candles combined their tiny orange and crimson flames, together lighting up the extensive dressing chamber with a warm glow.

Liu Bei stood before a tall, full-length mirror, anxiously debating with himself whether the small crinkling around his eyes constituted as crow's feet. Or was he merely getting paranoid about his age, as the hour to his wedding ceremony with young Sun Shang Xiang slowly approached?

His new pageboy, Ren Er, fussed about him, awkwardly trying to adjust the scarlet-and-gold wedding robes he'd just thrown around his master's shoulders. For a palace servant, Ren Er was doing a pretty miserable job of dressing up his lord, but thankfully for the young lad, Liu Bei was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice.

A few yards away, poor Yue Ying wasn't faring much better in attempting to dress up her own lord…although for a vastly different reason. The finely embroidered carmine gown she'd chosen to wear to that evening's ceremony was stunning, lighting up her features with a radiant beauty as only the most exquisite of clothing is capable of doing.

As far as dressing her husband for radiance, however, Yue Ying wasn't having the same luck. Even hours before his master's wedding, Zhuge Liang refused to give up his work. As a result, his harried wife was hard-pressed to find new and creative methods of exchanging his trademark white robe with a red silk one, while he busied himself with annotating a well-worn copy of Sun Tzu's _The Art of War._

From the reflection of his mirror, Liu Bei observed the goings-on in the room. With a severe shortage of handmaids, the Shu forces had sadly been left to dress themselves for the wedding to the best of their extent.

Currently, Guan Yu was struggling to disentangle his gloriously long beard from Zhang Fei's braided gold silk belt, Zhao Yun was crawling around on all fours in search of a missing shoe, Huang Zhong had apparently abandoned his toilette claiming he was too old to deal with these womanly fussings, and Wei Yan was nowhere in sight.

A dull headache began snaking its way toward Liu Bei's temples, and he tiredly rubbed his fingers against these, while Ren Er continued to fumble about, making a complete mess of his clothes.

"There's so few handmaids in this palace," he observed, before adding with a self-deprecating snort, "And to think, all these years, I've been underestimating their usefulness."

Ren Er paused in his efforts to make Liu Bei's wedding attire even more crooked than it already was.

"Oh, Lady Sun doesn't keep traditional handmaids, only female bodyguards trained in swordsmanship and archery," the pageboy explained, watching closely for Liu Bei's reaction.

"You must be really eager to marry her now, aren't you?" he added, as he sloppily knotted a sash.

By now, Liu Bei had seen too much of the Sun Clan's craziness to be overwhelmingly shocked by this new revelation.

"If my own strategist can be happily married to a lady educated in the martial arts," he commented, "then I don't see why I can't accept Lady Sun, with or without her warring handmaids."

His pageboy looked pleasantly surprised by this answer, but before he could convey his reaction into words, the heavy red doors to the room creaked open.

Looking up, the officers of Shu saw, to their immense gratitude, an actual female, dressed in the brightly-colored skirts and merry flowers of a handmaid.

"Orchid!" Zhao Yun cried out in relief, at last finding his missing footwear and nearly banging his head on a low teakwood table in his hurry to straighten up and greet her.

Xi Tian almost collapsed with laughter when she saw the pitiful states of dress that the men were in—Zhuge Liang with one arm stuck in his robe and the other still holding stubbornly onto _The Art of War,_ Guan Yu and Zhang Fei tangled up in their embroidered finery, Liu Bei cutting a picture of the most bedraggled groom in matrimonial history, courtesy of his bungling pageboy, Ren Er.

"Lady Sun chased me away when I was sent to help her get dressed for her wedding tonight," Xi Tian explained as she stepped into the room.

She produced a small lacquered comb from her rose sash, and, standing up on tiptoes, began to smooth down Zhao Yun's tousled hair. Finding this position tiring after a while, she motioned for the warrior to sit down on a nearby stool, while she combed his hair down and pulled it back into a neatly-brushed ponytail.

"Can't you all get ready without my help?" she added laughingly as she continued her work, playfully pulling a lotus blossom from her hair and sneaking it between Zhao Yun's dark locks.

Huang Zhong caught her movement and lifted one eyebrow reprovingly, but when the young handmaid mischievously put her finger to her lips in the universal gesture for secrecy, the veteran general smirked and gave a slight nod of his head to indicate agreement.

Before somebody else could notice the blatantly pink flower now adorning Zhao Yun's hair, and say something to alert the young warrior, Sun Ce strode purposefully into the room, the Overlord held in a firm grip in his hands. Closely at his heels was his brother Sun Quan, while further behind, Zhou Yu was solicitously escorting Lu Xun, who was unable to walk at any pace faster than a snail's, lest his peaches come tumbling out of his dress.

Sun Ce proudly drew himself to his full height, and pointed one of his tonfas toward the king of Shu.

"Lord Liu Bei," he declared, "I'm afraid the wedding cannot proceed unless we finish the last tournament of our duel."

A sudden silence descended upon the room, before Zhang Fei had the stupidity to bawl out, "Since when did the South develop such a ridiculous custom?"

Sun Ce's face lit up.

"I'm glad you asked, General Zhang," the prince chirped happily. "You see, ever since the old days of Xi Shi and Wang Zhao Jun…"

"That's quite all right," Liu Bei hastily broke in. "We believe you!"

Sun Ce looked disappointed at this cruel denial of his opportunity to spin yet another tall tale about ancient beauties, as Liu Bei dutifully marched across the room to retrieve the Gold Moon Dragon.

Not one to dwell too long on setbacks, Sun Ce turned and motioned at Zhou Yu.

The handsome strategist proceeded to leave Lu Xun's side for the moment, unsheathing his Elder Sword at the same time that his sworn brother declared, "For my partner, I choose Gongjin."

Liu Bei froze. He'd forgotten that the fifth tournament of this ridiculous brother versus groom duel involved team fighting! A tangible spark of tension crackled through the air following Sun Ce's words, signaling that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had also remembered.

Before the two Tiger Generals could renew their rivalry, however, a young, unexpected voice spoke up.

"If it's not too bold of me to say this, I would be honored to fight alongside Lord Liu Bei."

All eyes turned to the speaker, whose identity momentarily shocked chattering voices into silence.

"Ren Er?" Liu Bei gasped, staring wide-eyed at the young pageboy who'd stepped up to his side.

Sun Ce laughed confidently, exchanging scornful looks with his younger brother and Zhou Yu, before said younger brother crowed, "Don't be foolish boy; what weapons do _you_ have that you may use?"

Ren Er glared daggers at his second prince, then yanked off his loose servant's coat in a single snapping motion…

…Revealing a pair of gleaming, silver-and-gold chakrams hidden underneath.

_"I_ will be using my Sol Chakrams in this duel, Great Prince!" the little squire spat out triumphantly.

* * *

_1. A title of respect when addressing someone of higher rank or seniority than you. Literally translates to, "Great Person."_

_2. A formal way of bidding adieu._

A/N: The poem that Jiang Wei, Sima Yi, and Lord Xi recite is actually the opening song of the _Three Kingdoms_ drama series. As for Sun Shang Xiang's false name when she's masquerading as Liu Bei's pageboy, the _Ren_ part is derived from her name in the _RTK_ books (in the novel she's called Sun Ren), while the _Er_ part is, as explained in an earlier chapter, a common suffix attached to youngsters by way of nickname.


	21. Chapter Twenty One: Wedding Woes

**Chapter Twenty-One: Wedding Woes**

_Is the famously tomboyish princess of the South Land truly ready for marriage?_

* * *

Cloaks of thick fog stretched out their hazy folds, softly blurring his vision. Dimly from above, the faint sounds of voices formed words in a familiar tongue, yet nevertheless, he found himself struggling to decipher each syllable spoken. As his groggy mind made feeble efforts at swimming back into consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked against the sudden invasion of candlelight.

Sun Ce groaned and sat up, rubbing at his strangely sore head. His features worked themselves into a questioning look, when he realized that most of the officers of Wu were hovering around him and peering anxiously at his face.

"What happened?" the Little Conqueror wanted to know, pushing away strands of dark russet hair which had fallen into his eyes.

His answer came promptly, when Sun Quan raised an eyebrow before replying in a dry tone, "You fainted, and I had to take your place in the brother versus groom tournament!"

Sun Ce brightened up as he remembered the duel, conveniently glossing over his own embarrassing conduct upon finding out that the bratty pageboy, "Ren Er," was none other than his own little sister.

"Oh, right, the tournament! How'd we do against Lord Liu Bei and Ren—ah, Little Sis?" he asked eagerly.

In response, Sun Quan heaved a mournful sigh. After fidgeting around for a couple of seconds, he finally coughed up the answer: "Look over there."

Sun Ce obeyed, turning his head in the direction his younger brother had nodded toward. He promptly caught an eyeful of a bare-chested Zhou Yu getting his torso bandaged up, while at the same time trying to discourage the overzealous nurse from ripping the rest of his clothes off—specifically, his pants—just to make sure that poor little Gongjin hadn't gotten any other boo-boos.

With a grimace, Sun Ce turned his eyes away from the spectacle. His headache was killing him…Apparently, when he'd fainted from the shock of seeing Ren Er unveil the Sol Chakrams, both of his tonfas had managed to accidentally topple onto his forehead.

Or, perhaps, seeing the curious smirk on Sun Quan's face, it hadn't been an accident at all.

Sun Ce shook his head as if to clear it, while remarking in an effort to find the silver lining in this stormy matchmaking cloud, "Well, at least our troubles are over now—by fighting alongside Lord Liu Bei, the little brat is showing that she's consenting to this marriage alliance!"

* * *

Xiao Feng, or Phoenix, had been chosen as captain of Sun Shang Xiang's elite female bodyguards for many solid reasons: among the lady warriors of Wu, she was second only to her princess in her fighting prowess. She was also well-versed in battle tactics and could recite whole passages out of _The Art of War_ from memory, and, at age twenty-two, was the oldest officer out of the entire unit.

Not included among the reasons for her well-earned promotion, however, was a single drop of understanding of the more feminine arts.

Under the stilted, uncertain leadership of Phoenix, Sun Shang Xiang's bewildered bodyguards could be found darting from one room to another in the princess's courts. Some were gingerly trying to pick up pieces of the bridal attire without ripping the delicate silk, others frantically ran about in search of all the strings of pearls that would make up the elaborate _feng huang(1)_ headdress. The unluckiest of the troop, banished to the palace gardens to gather the showiest, most fragrant flowers, could be heard grumbling and cursing out loud each time they pricked their fingers on one feisty little thorn or another.

The princess herself sat before her mirror, still dressed in the uniform of a humble pageboy. Reaching up with one hand, she carefully undid the scarf that had been knotted tightly around her forehead, keeping any telltale locks of short auburn hair in check. One of her little troopers brought over a bronze basin of water and set it in front of her, and she proceeded to scoop a handful of the cold liquid and applied it to her face. Under the cleansing powers of water, Ren Er's dusky façade magically vanished, to be replaced by the smoother, fairer features of Sun Shang Xiang.

Meanwhile, her fighting handmaids started gathering uncertainly around their young mistress, each armed with such alien weapons as brocades and perfumes and hair ornaments dangling with strings of tiny, perfectly carved rubies.

"Princess, I apologize in advance," Phoenix spoke up boldly.

And then, at her crisp hand signal, the bodyguards under her command moved forward to transform Sun Shang Xiang into a suitable bride.

Tomboys all, these promptly proceeded to do an even worse job of dressing up their mistress than she herself, masquerading as Ren Er, had done to Liu Bei. Sun Shang Xiang winced when she felt a jade _chai_ being stuck inexpertly into her too-short-for-ornaments hair, but was able to shake off the stab of pain due to her training as a warrior.

However, there _was_ one sensation that she wasn't able to dismiss with quite so much ease.

"I think the red robe is on backwards," she observed, at the same time that one of her bodyguards, struggling to find a suitable place to stick a feathered hair ornament, accidentally stomped on the princess's feet.

Phoenix frowned, and looked up from where she'd been struggling to figure out how to tie a particularly complex, flower-shaped knot.

"Which red robe?" the young captain asked.

"One of the seven or eight layers that you just piled onto me," Sun Shang Xiang replied, somewhat testily.

This only drew a helpless shrug of the shoulders from Phoenix, before she hastily untangled her fingers from the string that she'd been trying to weave into a blossom for the past fifteen minutes. A quick comparison between the portrait of a perfect bride and the flesh-and-blood bride seething before her provided little help; as far as the captain's inexperienced eyes could tell, no piece of garment appeared out of place.

"Su Lin." She motioned over another bodyguard, and when the latter appeared, Phoenix plucked up one of Sun Shang Xiang's majestically flowing sleeves. "Does this look like it's been put on backwards?"

The equally tomboyish Su Lin responded with a blank look.

"What does it matter, anyway? The majority of the guests will be men, and save for General Zhou Yu, none of them will be able to tell the difference," she pointed out helpfully, at the same time trying to light some incense and nearly burning her eyebrows off in the process.

As Su Lin screeched and hopped back, Phoenix returned her attention to the troublesome wedding dress, holding up the sleeves and critically examining the embroidery to determine whether it truly was on backwards. Sun Shang Xiang also craned her neck for a better view of her figure, virtually hidden underneath excessive layers of satiny scarlet.

"I think you're ready," Phoenix told her young mistress, hastily setting about smoothing out any wrinkles in the latter's flowery wedding ensemble.

Seconds later, the unmistakable sound of ripping silk rang out across the room.

* * *

Liu Bei choked and began coughing, as two hoyden bodyguards of Sun Shang Xiang's got so carried away with burning incense that soon the entire room was virtually puffing with fragrant smoke. It was just the Shu king's good fortune to have gotten twin sisters Jing Mei and Ying Mei as his attendants. Ren Er had excused himself shortly after the duel, and Xi Tian had retired to follow his generals to the location of the wedding ceremony and prevent their accidentally ripping, burning, or mangling their delicate brocade garments to shreds during the short walk there.

To take the place of Liu Bei's first two valets, Phoenix had generously drafted for him two replacements whose pitiful lack of knowledge of all things feminine—even by Sun Shang Xiang's standards—had gotten them kicked out of the bride-to-be's court.

Thankfully for Liu Bei, the rapidly approaching noise and din of festive music soon signaled his departure from his chamber for the wedding location itself…and his rescue from the two incompetent handmaids. The noble leader dropped polite bows at Jing Mei and Ying Mei, who, with their incessant incense burning, had almost ensured his death by asphyxiation before he could even meet his bride. Then, tugging his clothes into place, Liu Bei escaped out of his court.

He was promptly met by a parade of garish dancing lions and dragons. Firecrackers shot off into the night sky, exploding into bright stars of color. Overexcited small children everywhere laughed shrilly and recklessly threw rice, red beans, candied peanuts, and even their own hair ornaments and other such trinkets into the air. Before Liu Bei could blink from astonishment, a tidal wave of well-wishers had swarmed about him to escort him to his wedding.

Among this eclectic mob of musicians, children, and guests were the two princes of Wu, with Zhou Yu following closely at their heels. Sun Ce recklessly straight-armed people out of the way in an effort to force out a safe path for the groom-to-be, and soon enough, the trio managed to rescue the hapless Liu Bei, lost in a sea of costumed bodies and wafting incense.

"We'll have to hurry; Pop's been waiting for hours, and my mom's already expecting her first grandchild!" Sun Ce hollered into Liu Bei's ear.

Liu Bei, his senses assaulted by the combined cacophony of merry wedding music, firecrackers going off, and the gleeful screams of children, could barely make out a word of what Sun Ce had just bawled out.

"Excuse me?" he shouted back apologetically.

"We have to hurry!" Sun Ce repeated.

"I'm sorry; I can't hear you!" Liu Bei yelled.

"Hurry, my mom's expecting her first grandchild!" Sun Ce yodeled unconcernedly.

Unfortunately for the twenty-six-year-old prince, however, a dead silence abruptly settled over the noisy guests immediately after the words "mom" and "grandchild" left his lips.

While Sun Ce blushed, the crowd pulled apart, neatly and respectfully making way for a newly-arrived vehicle—a red bridal sedan, resplendent with the brightest jewels of the South and decorated with the phoenix and the dragon, symbolic of marriage and unity.

Sun Shang Xiang had arrived. Granted, she was a little bit tardy for her own wedding procession, and the rows of handmaids helping her out of her palanquin _did_ look like they were sweltering to death beneath their varicolored silks and satins…but at least the bride was now present.

Just to make sure she really _was_ the princess of Wu, however, and not some male stand-in, Zhou Yu swept the crowds with a discreet look to make sure Lu Xun was among the guests present.

* * *

_1. Phoenix, a symbol of marriage, among other things, in the Chinese culture._


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: Crimson Silk Blossom

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Crimson Silk Blossom**

_After an engagement cluttered with more obstacles than is the norm, a king finally meets his true bride._

* * *

The dainty echoes of rustling silk floated softly across the air, as swirls of misty fabric spun in graceful arches, revealing the red path that the bride and groom were to walk across. Here, before the thrones upon which sat Sun Jian and the stately Lady Wu, the festivities were noticeably more tranquil than the Sun Ce-led parade that had ushered Liu Bei out of his courts. Beneath the raised dais where the two proud parents sat were gathered all the civic officers and generals of importance, Wu on one side, Shu on the other.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were currently performing an elaborately choreographed fan dance, supported by some of the loveliest girls of the South. The dancers made a charming picture in their frosty colored satins—roses and sunshine yellows, blues and violets and greens shaded the palest jade—as they welcomed a never-ceasing flow of wedding guests filing in from beneath a pair of tall red gates.

Yet subtly undermining the refined melodies coming from the lutes, flutes, harps, and _qins(1)_ accompanying the Qiao-led dance were the sounds of youthful voices raised in merry squabbling.

"It's not appropriate for guests to be wearing masks at a wedding," Xi Tian was chiding, wearing a spoiled pout on her deceptively sweet face as if to emphasize her words.

She was standing on tiptoes, her slender arms stretched upwards in an attempt to yank the ornate mask off of Wei Yan's face. The swarthy, powerfully-built general snorted in half-hearted annoyance as he arched his head back and away from the girl's meddling hands.

"Leave…me…alone," the taciturn warrior grunted, gingerly tapping Xi Tian's left shoulder back with one huge paw—gingerly, for fear of unwittingly hurting the handmaid and giving Zhuge Liang yet another reason for distrusting him.

"Why do you wear a mask, anyway? Do you have a really hideous face? Or maybe it's terribly scarred? Are you missing a nose or an eye, and you don't want others to see your deformities?" Xi Tian asked with infuriating innocence, oblivious of his desire to be left in peace and persisting in her fruitless efforts at snatching away the offensive face gear.

"Girl…nosy," Wei Yan complained, tightening his mouth into the most fearsome snarl he could muster in an effort at scaring her away.

Unfortunately for him, however, Xi Tian had learned at an early age that pretty features and a silk dress can be formidable weapons—if wielded by the right feminine hands—at wearing down even the toughest of male resolves. Hardly intimidated by the menacing scowl before her, she instead doubled her efforts at pestering Wei Yan into compliance.

"Or maybe you're actually very handsome, and that forces you to cover up your face with a stinky, tacky mask, or else you'd never strike fear into the hearts of your enemies?" she guessed charmingly.

Before the stunned Wei Yan could respond to that, Zhao Yun thankfully stepped in to rescue his comrade from the triple threat of giggles, dimples, and dubious compliments.

"Orchid, I'm sure General Wenchang looks normal enough beneath that mask," the Little Dragon spoke up, hiding a smile at the almost tangible vibes of exasperation, mixed with grudging amusement, that Wei Yan was emanating.

Before Zhao Yun could add something about respecting others' wishes for privacy, Gan Ning and Zhou Tai appeared into view.

The two former pirates were hurriedly cutting across the rose gardens that were Lady Wu's pride and joy, in a last-minute effort at making it to the Sun-Liu wedding with some semblance of punctuality. Yet apparently, they weren't in so great a hurry that they failed to notice something about the youngest Tiger General's appearance when they passed by their guests from Shu.

Gan Ning momentarily stopped berating Zhou Tai for failing to alert anybody that he didn't have a pageboy named Ren Er, and instead snickered in Zhao Yun's direction, "How manly of you, General!" Zhou Tai obliged with a wordless smirk, and the two Wu officers soon disappeared from earshot.

Zhao Yun frowned, unsure as to the meaning of Gan Ning's enigmatic remark but certain that it had been intended as an insult.

"I wonder what General Gan could have meant by that?" he wondered out loud.

Wei Yan's physical appearance in the eyes of others was soon forgotten, as the dashing warrior instead focused on worrying about his own admirable looks. Perhaps there was some obscure Southern tradition—no doubt linked with the ancient beauties Xi Shi and Wang Zhao Jun, if he were to ask Sun Ce—concerning appropriate wedding attire?

But if it truly _were_ some quaint Wu-exclusive tradition, then why did the Jingzhou-born handmaid beside him suddenly look so guilty?

Zhao Yun whirled around to face Xi Tian, who unwittingly let out a tiny squeak when she felt the young Tiger's eyes fixed on her.

"Orchid, do you happen to know why General Gan just made a comment about my masculinity?" he asked, stepping over to the nineteen-year-old while one of his eyebrows slanted upwards in a question.

Xi Tian did her best to palm off a look of absolute wide-eyed innocence, but already, that telltale pink was seeping up her face.

"Ah…no?" she chirped in a small voice, frantically dimpling in an attempt to cover up her sheepishness.

"Then why are you blushing like that?" Zhao Yun pointed out, raising his right hand and softly brushing her cheek to emphasize his words.

Where was a good accessory to hide behind when a girl needed it the most? But Xi Tian's favorite butterfly-embroidered fan was currently being abused as a flyswatter by Zhang Fei, while her handkerchief was still in Zhao Yun's possession, following the little incident on the Chang Jiang. She couldn't even hope to cover part of her face with the gossamer sleeves of her strawberry gown, for they were so sheer and delicate as to be virtually see-through.

With Zhao Yun's teasing eyes watching her every move, Xi Tian finally darted behind Guan Yu, pulling up his luxuriant black beard and holding it over her flaming cheeks.

"General Zhao must be seeing things; I'm not blushing," she sang out, her voice slightly muffled by the hundred or so strands of coal-colored facial hair defending her face.

Wei Yan, eager to get back at her for her earlier attempts at unmasking him, now smugly informed Zhao Yun, "Flower…in…your…hair."

Zhao Yun's eyes widened. So _that_ was why all the other officers had been shooting him smirks ever since a certain handmaid had brushed his hair for him! The young warrior strode frantically over to Wei Yan and, using the latter's well-polished mask as a mirror, examined his reflection.

It wasn't terribly hard to notice a hazy splotch of pastel amongst his otherwise dark locks. When Zhao Yun reached up with one hand and yanked it out of his hair, he inevitably found grasped in his fist a single ornamental lotus.

Zhao Yun gasped in surprise upon seeing the evidence, as a shade of pink which perfectly matched Xi Tian's unexpected little present flooded his face. Turning toward the responsible party, he took a step closer while mock-threateningly uttering her name: "Orchid…"

Xi Tian peeped, and shrank further behind Guan Yu. The august leader of the Tiger Generals, standing tall and proud at his sworn brother's wedding, spared an amused half-smile down at the girl using his beard as a shield.

He then turned his attention to Zhao Yun, glancing in the younger officer's direction and reproving, "Zilong, mind your manners."

For the bride and groom had finally arrived.

Heralded by dancing lions and dragons and escorted by a multitude of musicians, bridesmaids, and young children, Liu Bei and the heavily-veiled Sun Shang Xiang were slowly making their way down the red path. Between them they carried a thick sash of crimson silk, elaborately knotted into a gigantic flower blossom. The bride and groom walked underneath a ceiling of evening stars and rainbow-bright firecrackers, preparing to seal their marriage with three bows—one to the Heavens, one to their ancestors, and one to each other.

The attack struck as abruptly and ferociously as thunder.

Xi Tian was just setting out the soft, padded cushions for Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang to kneel on as they bowed to the Heavens, when the deafening clash of voices raised in battle cries engulfed the air like invading locusts. The heavy mahogany gates, decorously closed by servants after the bride and groom had entered, were now slammed open with a vengeance, stirring up such a strong gust of wind that several candles went out.

Zhou Yu was the first one to recover his senses and shout frantically, "Enemy raid!"

But his announcement proved superfluous. From the inky shadows stretching beyond the gates, the shapes of marauding soldiers were already pouring inside. The beautiful dancers were the first ones to let out shrill yelps of fright, despite Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao's best efforts at maintaining order over them. Several of these pampered girls fled, scattering in all directions like silken butterflies, and their actions soon proved themselves to be a catalyst for chaos.

Enemy plunderers slashed at golden statues and tore apart expensive brocades, screams erupted from amongst the sea of wedding guests, chairs were abandoned or overthrown in their occupiers' haste to escape to safety, and lighted scarlet candles were accidentally knocked onto the ground or into the nearest curtains.

And amidst all the confusion, the blue war flags of Wei towered over all others, their rising phoenixes poised for flight like shrieking demons.

Zhao Yun reacted on instinct. With one hand, he quickly led Xi Tian to safety behind a broad ivory pillar in an obscure corner; with the other, he picked up an oversized lute from a startled musician nearby, brandishing the instrument like a weapon in lieu of his Fierce Dragon spear. His expert eyes picked out an enemy, and in a flash, the intrepid warrior had knocked his opponent out with a rather melodious bang.

Around him, he could see his fellow generals doing the same, substituting wedding props for the battle gear they'd left behind in their chambers.

Guan Yu had wrenched a giant peacock ornament on a tall staff from its bearer, and was wielding it as proficiently as if it were his famed Blue Dragon Saber. Sun Ce, finding his tonfas confiscated by his mother for fear that he might get drunk at the wedding banquet and try to pick a fight with somebody, was improvising by hurling fiery candles at his opponents as if they were flying daggers…and occasionally burning his own fingers on the hot wax!

Standing in the middle of the chaos, Liu Bei reflexively flung one arm in front of his still-veiled young bride. Yet he soon discovered that this grim and silent oath to protect the princess of Wu was unnecessary: Upon hearing the first notes of discord, Sun Shang Xiang had flung her smothering crimson veil to the ground. The heavy gemstone-encrusted headdress, with its thousand strings of soft pearls, fell next, followed in due time by flowers, feathered hair ornaments, and dangling, tear-shaped earrings.

While Phoenix brought over a pair of large gold trays, Sun Shang Xiang hastily ripped off as many layers of her heavily embroidered wedding gown as she could shed and still remain a lady, then quickly knotted a discarded length of satin around her head to prevent any rebellious strands of hair from falling into her eyes. Before Liu Bei could even find an appropriate substitute for his Gold Moon Dragon, his wife had already charged into battle, her twin trays slashing the air in perfect imitation of the Sol Chakrams.

It took little more than a swift skirmish to dispatch of the uninvited Wei unit. The last blue-clad raider fell under a heavy blow from Zhao Yun's lute, and a sudden hush descended upon the palace grounds.

Finally, Liu Bei broke the silence. In the unnatural quiet that followed the tussle's end, the Shu king's voice sounded as loud as a battle gong. Slowly, he turned to his scarlet-clad bride, still poised with her trays as if they were chakrams, and incredulously uttered a single name.

"Ren Er?"

* * *

_1. A Chinese string instrument, commonly translated as a zither._


	23. Chapter Twenty Three: Veiled Plots

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Veiled Plots**

_One scheme is slowly planned out, while a second awaits its execution._

* * *

_Clink. Clink. Clink._

The melodious rings of sword and chakrams skillfully meeting and then parting in mid-air sailed through the branches of flowering peach trees. Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang, likewise, met and then parted in perfect sync with their respective weapons.

"Stealing your own brother's army, dueling General Zhang He at Chi Bi, and impersonating a pageboy," Liu Bei gently teased, as he countered a strike from his young wife. "Lady, what other secrets have you been keeping from me?"

"You mean besides finding out how difficult it is to dress you?" Sun Shang Xiang shot back with a cheeky grin.

Her answer was a generous laugh, and a lighthearted sliding slash that Liu Bei knew she could easily counter. Emboldened by her husband's blithe reaction, Sun Shang Xiang pretended to look thoughtful as she spun the most colorful lie her mind could come up with on the spot.

"Well, I suppose my father never told you about the time he betrothed me to one of Lord Gongsun Zan's sons immediately after the Battle of Chi Bi, all for the sake of luring him to Wu and assassinating him to regain the three cities that my brother had just lost to the Gongsun Clan," she added innocently.

Liu Bei turned white and froze, with the end result being that his left ear was almost neatly cleaved from his head by his new bride's Sol Chakrams. Sun Shang Xiang didn't know whether to laugh at his aghast reaction, or run to his side and inquire after his health—so she chose to do both.

Letting her chakrams drop to the ground with a clang, the princess of Wu swiftly jogged over to her husband and took his face in her hands in a grip far more affectionate than she had ever doled out.

"Are you all right? Are you bleeding?" she asked tenderly, tracing his ear with her index finger.

Then, as if realizing what she was doing, a wave of pink assaulted her cheeks. She abruptly dropped her hands and turned away, unwilling to let her husband see her blush. Blushing was for soft, feminine girls—girls who knew how to dance and sing, who wore misty silks and fragrant flowers, who teased and flirted and giggled into their handkerchiefs when teased and flirted with back, and who coyly hid their faces behind painted fans or brocade sleeves. She, Sun Shang Xiang, a woman warrior, did not dance or sing or flirt, had no patience for silks or flowers, giggles or perfumes, and certainly did _not_ blush.

To cover up her embarrassment, the tomboyish princess tossed back her head and gave what she hoped was an airy laugh.

"I can't believe how gullible you are; couldn't you tell I was just joking?" Sun Shang Xiang mocked.

She felt a hand gently hold her shoulder, before her husband's now-familiar voice spoke up near her ear.

"No. I'm inclined to give my wife all my trust," Liu Bei admitted quietly.

His wife's subsequent smile outshone even the jealous sun in lighting up the court.

* * *

Awake or asleep, cheery or somber, Guan Yu always managed to cut a noble, imposing image, one that had led his peers to aptly nickname him the God of War. The proud colossus was a pillar of strength for the Shu-Han, the leader of the Tiger Generals, the warrior with thick silkworm brows and snapping phoenix eyes, and the man of the beautiful beard.

Unfortunately for the mighty God of War, however, nobody had thought to teach a certain aristocrat-turned-handmaid that beautiful beards—unlike beautiful hair—were not to be plaited, beribboned, festooned, or otherwise embellished in any ways.

On the early afternoon that Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang were mock-dueling each other, Guan Yu happened to fall asleep in his chair, one powerful hand still resting on a halfway-annotated collection of _The Spring and Autumn Annals._ While the noble general napped, a small pretty figure, kneeling on a silken cushion at his feet, gleefully continued weaving his luxuriant beard into a thousand slender braids.

Zhao Yun, sitting on a low stool diagonally from the culprit and obligingly holding her comb and ribbons for her, watched with amusement as the girl plowed through her work. An indulgent smile crossed his face without his realizing it, when he noticed Xi Tian sacrificing several peach blossoms and frosty lotuses from her own raven hair to adorn Guan Yu's new braids.

"You are perhaps the bravest person beneath the Heavens for daring to do this," the youthful warrior remarked playfully, motioning toward Guan Yu's radically transformed beard with a nod of his head.

Xi Tian giggled and made a silly face at the younger of the two Shu officers, her slender fingers deftly disappearing and reappearing from amongst Guan Yu's bushy locks.

"Well, I have to practice on _someone_ if I'm to be a handmaid for your kingdom's new queen," she replied, triumphantly wrinkling her nose at Zhao Yun when the latter held up both palms to indicate acquiescence.

While she spoke, she raised one hand to her hair to take out the last ornamental lotus delicately tucked into its tresses. After a frown and a quick check with the nearest mirror, Xi Tian stood up, intent on embarking on a blossom quest.

"I have to get some more flowers; don't let General Guan move from this spot," she sang out, and was off in a soft rustling of silk skirts.

"Don't get lost," Zhao Yun called out teasingly after her departing back.

He was pretty sure he'd been answered by a faint but nevertheless indignant, "Hn!" but he didn't have long to muse over this: Guan Yu was beginning to stir.

Zhao Yun had just enough time to mutter a hasty curse under his breath, before his fellow Tiger General woke up. One silkworm brow lifted in mild surprise at finding this unexpected visitor, before Guan Yu said inquiringly, "Zilong, is there something you're looking for?"

While he spoke, the green-clad warrior began drawing himself to his full height. Zhao Yun started at this movement, for there was a mirror hanging on the wall directly within the taller man's line of vision. Quickly leaping to his feet as well, Zhao Yun maneuvered before Guan Yu, doing his best to cover up that pesky tool of vanity just waiting to reveal Xi Tian's handiwork.

"Ah…I came in a few minutes ago to, um…borrow…something," Zhao Yun mumbled lamely.

Chivalry had never taught him to be a proficient liar, as evidenced by the skeptical lift of a brow from the older general. Luck seemed against him on that particular day as well, for while Zhao Yun was frantically trying to think of ways to divert Guan Yu, who should enter but the latter's two teenaged sons, Guan Ping and Guan Xing.

"Father—" both boys started to say, but that perfunctory greeting was as far as they got.

Guan Ping abruptly froze in his tracks upon catching sight of his adopted father, his jaw dropping with an audible pop and hanging unattractively open for several seconds.

"What in the—" he started to sputter, a dumbfounded look on his face, but managed to catch his tongue at the last minute.

Guan Xing, however, uninhibited by the restrictions and tact of young adulthood, promptly burst out laughing.

His father arched both eyebrows, shooting his second son a reproving look…until he caught his reflection in the boys' well-polished armors. Something was amiss…Why were there so many splashes of pink and peach intermingled with his charcoal beard?

Despite Zhao Yun's best efforts, Guan Yu managed to march past the younger general and stride up to the mirror for a better view. His phoenix eyes almost took flight from their sockets upon seeing his decisively _un_imposing reflection, before he frowned and turned accusingly to a certain Changshan native.

"Zilong, you have some explaining to do," came forth the simple, but stern, command.

* * *

Cao Cao gingerly rubbed his temples with two fingers as he strolled down one of the numerous carved paths snaking across the Wei palace's pleasure gardens. He was a man of great ambitions, the greatest among these being the eventual reunification of China under his own flags.

Souring weddings, however, was definitely _not_ one of his aforementioned goals.

But, after all, more unorthodox methods were not unheard of when it came to cultivating victory. If tearing apart the Wu-Shu alliance meant that Cao Cao had to plan out a trivial raid to make sure his two enemies' marriage started off on the wrong note, then pride was not going to stand in his way of stooping to such pettiness.

Cao Cao paused, leaving his home-wrecking plans unfinished, as he came across a cluster of tall, pink-and-white-frothed magnolias. And who should be standing—or rather, lurking—behind these than Sima Yi?

The ever-scheming Wei strategist was quietly swishing his fan back and forth while keeping an attentive eye on a pavilion in the distance. Cao Cao followed Sima Yi's thoughtful gaze, and could discern only two fairly innocuous figures sitting on the stone benches: Lord Xi and Jiang Wei. The two appeared to be playing chess, while at the same time discussing something—probably poetry or philosophy.

Taking long, loping strides, Cao Cao efficiently closed the gap between himself and his advisor. Sima Yi looked startled upon seeing his leader emerge from seemingly nowhere, before ingrained courtesy overrode his surprise and he dropped a graceful bow.

"My lord."

Cao Cao arched an eyebrow.

"I can only assume you have a good reason for spying on my honored guest and an officer of my own army," he drawled languidly.

Sima Yi allowed a baleful half-smile to cross his face. In low, almost conspiratorial tones, he proceeded to disclose, "I am starting to believe that this new friendship between our young Boyue and Lord Xi can be quite advantageous for Wei."

Cao Cao looked at once interested and a bit dubious.

"How so?" he wanted to know.

Sima Yi, lost in thought, failed to reply. Cao Cao, however, didn't press him—he could sense that the devious tactician was already working on a plan.

* * *

Xi Tian rummaged through a small, sandalwood chest where she kept most of her jewelry and hair ornaments, as well as some personal mementos and letters. As she selected a pair of viridian-colored flowers which she personally thought would complement Guan Yu's green robes divinely, her eyes swept over the corners of a letter, carefully folded and tucked at the bottom of the little lacquered box.

Dark thunderclouds settled over her eyes, as she remembered its contents—or rather, its instructions.

_"How's_ that _going to create dissention?"_ she'd once asked the letter's one-eyed bearer.

After witnessing the pre-wedding chaos that had reigned over Liu Bei's bride's courts, she no longer had such questions.

Her fingers absently toyed with the folded pages, tracing circles over their surface, while her brows knitted together in a thoughtful frown. The plan outlined within could certainly work: the Sun princess had a feisty personality, and was easily prone to outbursts of temper.

With an irritable little sigh, Xi Tian slammed the chest closed so that she wouldn't have to see that letter again. She then stood up and walked out of her room, heading not toward Guan Yu's quarters, but instead taking a detour to the lavish courts where the palace's newlyweds were playfully sparring.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four: Qin Qi Shu Hua

**Chapter Twenty-Four:_ Qin Qi Shu Hua(1)_**

_Innocent contests in the fine arts veil a more malicious intent._

* * *

A thundering of iron-shielded hooves pounding against the ground. A ringing of horses neighing shrilly into the air. A peal of high-spirited laughter, as two figures emerged from behind a curtain of weeping cherry trees and soft white dogwood. The larger of the pair was mounted on a fierce charger with a glistening coat of iron gray; his smaller companion rode a fiery little strawberry mare. Neck-and-neck they raced, until at the last minute, the man subtly reined in his own horse, causing the beast to gradually slow down and thus forfeit the contest.

"I saw that!" Sun Shang Xiang cried out, waving her riding whip accusingly in her husband's direction.

Liu Bei tried to look as innocent as possible, whistling naïvely, "Saw what? An exceptionally lovely bird or flower, perhaps?"

Sun Shang Xiang laughed, and had to resist the urge to toss her whip at his smiling face.

"Don't be silly; you know I've got no patience for such frivolous things," she scoffed, her head held high with pride.

Her husband dismounted, and she herself followed suit. As they tossed their bridles toward two waiting servants, Sun Shang Xiang added teasingly, "I was talking about how you purposely let me win the race! Does this mean you don't think I can beat you in a contest without your help, oh venerable Imperial Uncle?"

Before Liu Bei could respond, a pageboy came dashing forward. The lad quickly dropped a bow before the royal couple, while announcing at the same time, "Lord Liu Bei, Lady Sun—the two princes wish to come in and offer their felicitations."

Sun Shang Xiang stopped smoothing over her mare's silky mane, a reluctant frown beginning to creep over her features as she considered the matter at hand.

"No," she at last decided in a brisk tone, after giving the matter a few seconds' worth of consideration.

Now it was Liu Bei's turn to frown, as his young wife nodded at the attending servants to lead both horses to their stable.

"Lady, that wouldn't be the polite thing to do," he objected, but before he could go any further, Sun Shang Xiang laughed while disclosing, "The last time my idiot brothers went to congratulate a newlywed couple, they ended up scaring the bride into a nunnery!"

Liu Bei looked taken aback by her particular revelation.

"I find that hard to believe," he protested mildly. Turning to the pageboy, he instructed, "By all means, welcome them inside."

Sun Shang Xiang sighed.

"Fine. But don't come crying to me after today's ordeal is over; remember, I warned you," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

Liu Bei smiled indulgently at his wife, attributing her pessimism to sibling rivalry.

His smile was quick to slip off, however, when Sun Ce and Sun Quan, toting red-ribboned jars of wine, merrily barreled in…followed by Zhou Yu…followed by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei…followed by Zhao Yun…followed by Gan Ning and Zhou Tai…followed by Huang Zhong and Wei Yan…

Soon enough, what appeared to be the combined forces of Wu and Shu had assembled in the courtyard. Following in their wake was an influx of dancers, musicians, costumed acrobats, and servants bearing tables, stools, and endless trays of food and wine.

Sun Shang Xiang glared huffily at her guilty-looking husband.

"Next time, Xuande," she snapped with mock anger, even as she accepted a tiny platter of assorted sweets from a servant, "when I warn you of something, you'd better listen!"

* * *

Cao Cao thoughtfully stroked his goatee as he examined the large canvas map spread over his desk.

"In the end," he murmured, "Jingzhou remains a critical region."

Sima Yi nodded, a burst of charcoal feathers languidly moving through the air as he swished his fan back and forth.

"Currently, it is in the hands of Liu Xuande…whom, I believe, is still visiting Wu," he pointed out.

Cao Cao lifted an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting that we launch an expedition to conquer Jingzhou right now, while most of its key officers are occupied elsewhere?" he asked.

Surprisingly, his answer was a shake of the head.

"No. If Xi _Gu Niang's_ information is accurate, then the Shu forces aren't planning on remaining in Wu for very long." Sima Yi took a sip of tea. "Besides, Jingzhou has been under the rule of the Liu Clan for generations. Liu Bei is beloved by the citizens, and if we abruptly sweep in and conquer that province, without an ally that its people recognize and accept, we'll risk the chance of rebellion sweeping throughout the entire region."

"There is always…" Cao Cao started to object, but before he could finish, a little soldier came inside and knelt down.

"Your Majesty, there is a fortune-telling master outside who wishes to speak with you," he announced, a note of uncertainty coloring his young voice.

Cao Cao looked befuddled, and for a moment, wondered whether he'd heard the soldier right. Had the strains of war taxed his nerves so badly as to affect his hearing…?

"A _fortune-_telling master?" the king of Wei demanded incredulously.

Why, the only occasion those types of people were invited was when…a family wished to determine whether its son was making a good match or a misalliance.

The young cadet nodded, and Cao Cao leaned back in his seat, puzzled. His eldest son, Cao Pi, was quite happily wed to the stunning Lady Zhen Ji…Perhaps this was his next son, Cao Zhi's, eccentric way of hinting that _he_ would like to get married as well?

Before the third prince of Wei could be summoned for an inquiry, however, Sima Yi spoke up, clearing the confusion.

"That must be Old Man Jia, then," he guessed calmly. Motioning with his fan, he added, "Lead him in, I'm the one who invited him."

"Yes, General Sima," the young soldier said obediently, still looking curious as he exited the room.

Cao Cao deigned a glance toward his gifted strategist, his eyes crinkled with a carefully neutral expression that nevertheless wasn't without traces of bewilderment.

"Shall I offer my congratulations, Zhongda?" he drawled with veiled curiosity.

Sima Yi calmly returned to fanning himself.

"Another day, perhaps—when the groom has been told of this felicitous news," he revealed mysteriously.

* * *

Drums, trumpets, and lutes sounded a raucous cacophony, all playing magnificently out of tune and made even worse by the boisterous laughter and cries that joined their melodies. Firecrackers soared into the skies, nearly setting several trees aflame in the process. Acrobats recklessly performed their sword-and-magic stunts, trampling over flowerbeds and scaring a waddling troop of mandarin ducks into the safety of the nearest lake.

Over this chaotic scene of merrymaking, Sun Ce presided like a handsome god of debauchery, waving goblets around, pouring wine for whomever had a cup to hold it, and inviting everybody to eat their fill.

Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang exchanged looks, his face dazed and vaguely apologetic, hers wearing an irate _I-told-you-so!_ glare.

"This is…ah, certainly a surprise," Liu Bei spoke up tactfully, avoiding his wife's accusing scowl.

Sun Ce momentarily stopped wrestling Gan Ning for the last spring roll, and looked up to declare cheerfully, "Yeah, well, you two have been so busy ogling each other lately that you've left it up to us to throw the proper post-wedding parties!"

Unfortunately for the first prince of Wu, this brief gloat cost him the spring roll.

"Hey—!" he dived at his rival, trying to salvage the uneaten half from the former pirate.

Before a fight could break out, a new, feminine voice spoke up laughingly, "What's with all this commotion?"

Those within hearing range turned around to face the speaker.

Xi Tian emerged from behind a cluster of flowering magnolias, carrying a white-and-blue porcelain vase from the rim of which peeked out a showy spray of carmine-starred _mei_ branches. She dimpled at all the looks fixed on her, before gently tossing her head to flick a rebellious strand of hair away from her lashes.

"Is this some type of surprise party?" she asked innocently.

Her smiling eyes caught Zhao Yun's glance. The youngest Tiger General responded by playfully distorting his features into a cross-eyed glare, causing Xi Tian to giggle into the red _meis_ she was holding. Apparently, Zhao Yun was still miffed about the incident with having to take the blame for braiding Guan Yu's beard.

"Why do you ask?" Gan Ning called out crassly. "Are you volunteering to provide the entertainment?"

Xi Tian blushed, hiding behind the _mei_ branches so as to blend her scarlet cheeks with the equally scarlet blossoms.

"I am but a humble handmaid; it is not in my place to show off whatever meager talents I might have," she protested. "Rather, in the family that I used to work for, the Young Misses were the ones who would entertain guests and sisters alike. _Da Gu Niang(2)_ would play the _qin_ and sing, while _Er Gu Niang(3)_ usually tended to prefer linked verse poetry…Perhaps Lady Sun might do the same?"

Sun Ce whooped at the mere suggestion that his feisty younger sister try her hand at something so demure as reciting poems.

"This is my Little Sis that you're talking about here," he snorted, before stupidly adding, "If she even _knows_ any poetry, it's probably about war or bossing men around!"

He promptly received a peach to the nose for his troubles, courtesy of none other than the aforementioned Little Sis. Xi Tian laughed into her _meis_ at this interaction between brother and sister, before taking up for Sun Shang Xiang and declaring, "You mustn't speak of Lady Sun like this, Lord Bofu. After all, she _is_ the princess of Wu; she must've had the finest home-schooling in all aspects of _qin qi shu hua."_

"Normal girls might study _qin qi shu hua," _Sun Quan spoke up. "Shang Xiang skips her lessons to bother the soldiers or go riding!"

The younger prince wisely dodged after speaking, and the ripe persimmon that his sister hurled flew past him and instead bonked a recovering Sun Ce in the middle of the latter's forehead. Xi Tian managed to halfway cover her laughter with her _meis,_ and Liu Bei, in an effort to assuage his wife's wrath, quickly proposed, "Orchid, perhaps you would like to sing a song or recite some poetry in Lady Sun's place?"

Xi Tian demurely lowered her eyes to the ground, objecting, "It would be disrespectful for a mere handmaid to attempt such a thing. The lady of the household ought to do it."

"The lady of the household doesn't know the first thing about it!" Sun Ce crowed, and this time, he was smart enough to duck.

Sun Shang Xiang's flying tangerine smacked harmlessly into a tree trunk, at the same time that Zhao Yun stepped forward and relieved Xi Tian of the heavy vase she was still carrying.

"Don't be shy, Orchid…unless you yourself are equally ignorant of the Four Arts?" he demanded, a teasing sparkle in his dark eyes as he set his burden down on a nearby table.

At his dare, Xi Tian plucked a _mei_ branch from the vase to smack him on the lips with its tiny crimson flowers.

"I know enough about them!" she huffed, hitting him again with the _meis,_ this time on his throat.

_Then prove it,_ his eyes playfully dared.

Xi Tian clasped one hand to her heart, still loosely holding on to her flower spray. An expectant stillness descended over the crowd, as the young handmaid paced back and forth—supposedly to conjure up a good medium to demonstrate her knowledge of the finer arts. After a few contemplative seconds, Xi Tian stopped before Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang, and began to recite in a sweet, lilting voice:

"One osprey calls, the other does reply—  
On the islet in the river pleasant to th' eye  
The maiden nice and fair will evidently knit  
With the gentleman an ideal conjugal tie."

Here, Xi Tian paused, and turned around to train an expectant look on the young man who'd challenged her to this performance. A few hushed seconds elapsed, during which Zhao Yun quietly began to turn red when he discovered that the attention had been shifted from the girl before him to his own self.

"Is something the matter?" he finally asked, clearing his throat and making a conscious effort to stop blushing.

Xi Tian raised a hand to stifle her laughter at seeing his obvious discomfort, before cooing sweetly, "Really, General, you didn't expect me to finish the poem all by myself, did you? The whole point of linked verse is for different people to supply different lines."

Zhao Yun squirmed in his seat, refusing to meet her gleeful gold eyes as he coughed and stammered, "I am a warrior, not a scholar…I don't know these types of things…"

His words only resulted in Xi Tian giggling harder into her hand, before she smirked and sang out, "You're not going to be let off that easily. Come on, I'll even supply the next lines for you: Being dredg'd up—now from the left, now from the right—Are the floating hearts vari'd in length in the stream."

Much to her surprise, Zhao Yun was ready with a contribution this time. Having been initially caught off-guard by her unexpected revelation that this was to be a linked verse poem, he was determined not to make the same mistake twice. Zhao Yun captured her teasing gaze with his own eyes and held it, as he began to profess in a voice low enough to almost pass off for a whisper:

"I love, nay, I adore the maiden nice and fair,  
Be I sober-minded or, at night, in a dream."

By the time his voice had sensually drifted into silence, Xi Tian, no longer so teasing, was as red as he himself had been mere minutes earlier. The poem wasn't going in the direction she'd initially started on; no, she'd meant it as an ode toward Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang's recent marriage—the fair maiden with the gentleman an ideal conjugal tie. Yet now, Zhao Yun had taken her words and continued them in the form of a love song…_How…Why…?_

Zhou Yu, noting Zhao Yun's reticence and Xi Tian's blushing looks, tactfully took up the responsibility of providing the next verse:

"My affections so far being without return,  
This wretch'd heart with longing does burn  
Lovesickness lingering in the mind in the course  
Of long long nights, I lie awake and toss and turn!"

The handsome strategist of Wu finished with a flourish, and Sun Quan picked up where he left off, adding the couplet, "Being gather'd, now from the left, now from the right/Are the floating hearts vari'd in length in the stream."

During the time it took the two Wu natives to compose their respective lines, Xi Tian had hurriedly worked to regain her composure. Slowly, her flaming cheeks returned to their normal color, while she gave what she hoped sounded like an airy laugh and declared, "Wonderful! Who's next?"

Sun Ce made a nervous coughing sound into his wine goblet, as he realized that he was, unfortunately, the one sitting next to his younger brother. All eyes swiveled toward the first prince of Wu, while said prince offered a sheepishly lopsided grin and mumbled, "Um, I'm not exactly very good at this kind of stuff…Ah, let's see…The man tries to impress the pretty girl? Um…He plays the _qin_ and the _se(4)_ and hopes that when she hears she won't hurl…?"

Whoops and merry laughter broke out upon his pathetic finish, before the giggling Xi Tian generously offered to amend his lines.

"I like your general idea, Lord Bofu, but I think it'd be best if you rephrased it…Mmm, I know: Let the _qin_ be play'd and the _se_ be pluck'd so as/To befriend the maiden who's worthy of esteem!"

A general murmur of agreement rippled across her audience, while Sun Ce gave a good-natured shrug of both shoulders and muttered clownishly, "I still like my version better."

More laughter followed his remark, before Liu Bei cleared his throat and recited his contribution.

"The floating hearts, vari'd in length, are  
Being chosen, now from the left, now from the right."

On the table, Sun Shang Xiang's hands were slowly tightening into fists, until her knuckles began to turn white. For a while, she refused to raise her eyes, knowing that everybody was now looking at her, wondering whether the biggest tomboy to have come out of the House of Sun, the same tomboy who'd shown shamefully little interest in the Four Arts and everything else that hinted of gentility, would be able to come up with a couple of lines of even remote literary worth.

After she could no longer bear the overwhelming muteness of all her peers anticipating her contribution to their linked verse, she snapped her head up and glared defiantly, first at her brothers, then at her husband.

"What do you all want?" Sun Shang Xiang barked, and could not help the tinge of spoiled rudeness from creeping into her sentence.

Liu Bei started at the open hostility in his wife's voice, but before he could do or say anything, his brother-in-law had retorted in an equally impertinent tone, "It's kind of your turn, Little Sis—or do you need war drums to remind you when to start?"

If looks could kill, the luckless Sun Ce would have long been buried. As it was, Sun Shang Xiang had to content herself with firing off sullenly, "Poetry, hah! How boring it is; I could care less about these types of things!"

"C'mon, Little Sis! I mean, hell, even _I_ came up with _something!_ You should at least try, or are you just trying to ruin all the fun by keeping up this stuck up attitude of yours—?" Sun Ce started to chide in a bossy, big brother manner.

"I already _said_ I could care less about these types of things, didn't I?" his sister exploded at him, her voice noticeably rising an octave with each word.

Xi Tian, sensing the tension in the air, smoothly finished the poem in lieu of the uncooperative Wu princess.

"Let the drum be beaten and let the bell be chim'd," she stepped in, before the sibling spat could escalate into a real fight, "In order the maiden virtuous to delight."

Unfortunately, Sun Ce just had to be stubborn enough to press the issue.

"See? That didn't sound like something you couldn't have come up with—given a year or two with a tutor!" he demanded gloatingly of his sister.

He then proceeded to crow, "Hey, looks like you could learn a thing or two from your new handmaid, huh? Might even become less manly under her influence!"

More jokes and impish bantering were tossed out along that vein, while Sun Shang Xiang glowered and silently fumed.

Finally, when Liu Bei smiled and spoke up in an attempt to defend his wife's ignorance of the fine arts, "There is no need to fault Lady Sun—her specialty is the art of war; I can always rely on the handmaid Orchid as a companion in the arts of beauty," the tomboyish new queen of Shu slammed both fists on the table with a bang. Sun Shang Xiang drew herself to her full height, glared furiously at her husband—and abruptly stormed out.

An uncomfortable silence fell onto the previously festive crowds. Be they Wu or Shu, all looked startled at their hostess's unexpected exit…

…All except for one. Xi Tian alone guiltily dropped her eyes, as if she'd known exactly what she was doing when she'd charmed the men with her doe-eyed recital, and driven an exasperated Sun Shang Xiang away in the process.

* * *

_1. As defined in the endnotes of Chapter Fourteen, Qin Qi Shu Hua means music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, respectively. These four were the primary arts that all well-educated people were expected to master._

_2. Eldest Miss_

_3. Second Miss_

_By thus calling the 'young misses of her old household'—in other words, her two older sisters, Xi Lien and Xi Yue—Xi Tian conveniently avoids having to name the two girls, and possibly give her own identity away in the process._

_4. A musical instrument with twenty-seven strings._

_The 'linked verse poem' being composed is actually a love song called "The Ospreys in Tune," which comes from The Book of Poetry, a collection of poems dating all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty (1100 B.C.-221 B.C.) The nod to qin qi shu hua in this chapter refers back to Chapter Fourteen, where Cao Cao, knowing Sun Shang Xiang's reputation for being a tomboy, asked Lord Xi if the latter's daughter was knowledgeable enough of the four arts to basically make Liu Bei's new wife look like an uncultured wild child._

A/N: I know this chapter was twice as long as my usual installments are, and I hope it didn't drag out as a result. I honestly have no clue how it got to be so ridiculously long; the linked verse scene apparently took up more words than most of my regular chapters! Also, as a warning beforehand, I have to say that from now on, historical accuracy is probably going to be slowly phased out (like the story was all that historically accurate to begin with!) However, the locations and characters that participated in certain battles or events might get switched or moved around to better fit the events in the story. Last but definitely not least, a huge thanks to all my readers.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five: Apologies and Arran...

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Apologies and Arrangements**

_In the South a marriage undergoes its first notes of tension, while in the North a second union is slowly planned out._

* * *

"Lady…"

Liu Bei looked helplessly at the now-empty seat his wife had once occupied. Around him, the atmosphere was shifting from surprise to awkwardness, as guests fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats, embarrassed at having just witnessed this unexpected lovers' spat.

After what seemed like an eternity spent gazing forlornly in the direction Sun Shang Xiang had departed from, Liu Bei finally seemed to remember that he had company. Flustered, he clasped his hands and dropped a hasty bow to the well-wishers, before mumbling out, "Please excuse me, gentlemen."

With those words, the king of Shu turned on his heels and rushed off after his wife.

Not a sound could be heard following his departure. A dainty golden oriole, perched atop its parasol tree, dared let out a single sweet note. Yet, after sensing the tension which greeted its disrespectful melody, the little songbird wisely fell into a sullen silence.

Finally, Sun Ce tried to lighten the mood by leaping up and declaring with a too-cheerful laugh, "Like a wise old man once said, 'The only thing scarier than a new bride is her mother!' Right? Right?"

"Which wise old man would that be?" Zhou Yu demanded dryly, lifting one nonchalant eyebrow as his sworn brother reddened at the ears and mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

However, it was obvious that Sun Ce's attempts were slowly chipping away at the apprehension. Encouraged by the soft noises of guests coming back to life, Sun Ce grinned, banged his wine goblet against his armor to gather everybody's attention, and announced, "Looks like we've been abandoned to come up with our own entertainment! Any ideas?"

"How about a—" his younger brother started to suggest, before Gan Ning elbowed the second prince of Wu out of the way to bawl out, "Let's play a drinking game!"

Xi Tian lingered inconspicuously behind an arching gingko, watching the suddenly enthused Sun Ce as he began barking out the rules and details of the game. Observing that the strain she'd helped introduce into the atmosphere was slowly beginning to dissipate, she quietly moved to pick up the vase of _mei_ flowers she'd been carrying, before turning around and slipping away in a soft whisper of silk.

Unbeknownst to her, however, that whisper of rustling fabric hadn't quite been soft enough to escape detection by one of the particular officers present.

* * *

Sima Yi smiled with elegant negligence as he slid the required documents across the table toward the fortune-telling master—a short, wizened figure with a cloud of stringy gray beard cascading from his leathery face. Old Man Jia, as he was known, hunched over in his seat and began consulting the birth dates of the proposed bride and groom, while the man responsible for inviting him watched with a look of veiled anticipation in his eyes.

Cao Cao lounged behind his desk, an apparently disinterested witness to the events unfolding in his own office. Occasionally, he would deign a carefully neutral glance in the direction of his strategist and look as if he wanted to pose a question, but for the most part, the cunning ruler of Wei held his tongue and refrained from speaking. Sima Yi would tell him in due time.

Old Man Jia, meanwhile, soon finished his task. He straightened up, shaking his head and stroking his beard while declaring, "I cannot say if they will make a good match. Insofar as I can determine, there are no clear disasters threatening their wedding chamber. Yet, there is something uncertain about this pair that prevents me from confirming whether or not they will be good for each other."

A dramatic pause followed his words, before Sima Yi smirked to himself, as though he'd been expecting such an answer. As Old Man Jia continued to shake his head and mumble more inauspicious predictions to himself, the chief strategist of Wei leaned across the table and murmured, "I'm afraid you don't understand, sir."

Old Man Jia looked a bit miffed at this slighting of his powers, but before he could protest, Sima Yi had reached into the draping sleeves of his silk robes…and pulled out about one hundred taels_(1)_ of silver, neatly strung together, which he coolly presented to his invitee.

"The father of the bride-to-be is quite fond of this particular young man," he disclosed in a confidential whisper, before reiterating while meaningfully tapping at a glistening metal coin, _"Quite_ fond of him."

The shoulders of Old Man Jia visibly rose as he heaved a sigh, his eyes fixated on the stacks of taels gleaming brightly before him. He reached forward with a gnarled hand and silently fingered the same coin that Sima Yi had just tapped, his knitted eyebrows belying the thoughts crowding his conscience.

Finally, the fortune-telling master spoke up.

"I am getting old, and my mind is no longer what it used to be, I'm afraid," he began apologetically, at the same time reaching for the tainted money sitting before him. "Please allow me to consult my books; then I may re-evaluate the couple's compatibility…and perhaps help the matchmakers select an auspicious wedding date."

* * *

Sun Shang Xiang sat atop the sturdy limb of a towering cypress, one leg tucked beneath her, the other kicking back and forth with such livid energy that the neighboring branches shook and threatened to spill her from their heights. Her nostrils flared and her glaring eyes flashed, but eventually her free leg began to slow down, and then completely stop its furious back-and-forth motion. It was no use; the harmless air simply made a too-poor substitute for her husband.

But the new queen of Shu could not bear to remain still for too long. She reached for the nearest tree cone and tore it off, sending it hurtling across the air with as much force as she could put into her slender right arm.

"Lady, I had a feeling I might find you here." From below drifted a familiar male voice, quiet and rueful, almost inviting her wrath upon its owner's unfortunate but quite deserving head.

A surprised Sun Shang Xiang looked down, and saw, surely enough, the form of her husband below. Liu Bei looked about the size of a hunting hound from where she was sitting, but her battlefield-trained eyes were able to nevertheless identify him with relative ease. Even from atop her cypress, she could still recognize the unmistakable note of repentance in his voice, pleading for a response from his headstrong young wife.

Sun Shang Xiang graciously provided said response: she ripped off the largest, heaviest cone she could find, and lobbed it straight at her husband with a vengeance. She listened with satisfaction as Liu Bei let out a startled noise from below, but was disappointed when no yelp of pain or telltale thud of tree cone connecting with human flesh reached her ears.

"Lady, I am terribly sorry; I had no right to say what I just did at the party," Liu Bei called up, keeping a watchful eye for any further projectiles that might be seeking to pelt his skull.

A frosty snipe slashed back at him like a dagger: "Why are you wasting your time apologizing to _me?_ Shouldn't you be off flattering that Orchid girl with all your blather about art and beauty?"

Liu Bei winced.

"I made a mistake; I simply meant that she is a finely educated young woman," he admitted. "However, just because Orchid is well-versed in poetry detracts nothing from you."

"Hn!" Sun Shang Xiang harrumphed back, and fell into silence.

"Lady, is there any way I can convince you that you're the only one—" Liu Bei started to implore, when said lady abruptly cut him off and snapped, "Oh, stop it! You want the entire palace to hear your wimpy voice screeching apologies up a tree?"

"I…ah…Sorry?" Liu Bei hastily apologized. However, one corner of his upper lip began to turn up in a smile.

Sun Shang Xiang had regained her spirits enough to insult him. He was starting to make some progress.

* * *

Xi Tian struggled under the weight of her heavy porcelain vase as she continued her trek toward the maids' quarters. Her arms, unused to carrying anything heavier than a tea tray, were already getting sore. And that pesky crimson cloud of overgrown _mei_ branches was completely blocking her view. Was she even going in the right direction…?

She was abruptly startled out of her thoughts when a solicitous pair of arms reached around her torso and lifted the vase up into the air and right out of her hands. Xi Tian tried unsuccessfully to stifle an alarmed little squeal, nearly tripping over her skirts when she hurriedly whirled around to identify the source of this unexpected aid.

Upon recognizing the striking figure of the Little Dragon standing a few paces behind her, she wrinkled her nose and manipulated her features into a look of affected displeasure.

"You! What do you think you're doing, scaring me like that?" she demanded laughingly, placing both hands on her hips while one eyebrow slanted upwards to create a sharp sable half-moon across her white forehead.

To her question and her mock anger, Zhao Yun merely smirked and lightly teased, "Don't be ungrateful, Orchid—you were too busy holding your vase directly in front of your eyes to notice that you're about to crash into that tree!"

The sable moon descended back to its regular position, as Xi Tian's impertinent look slipped off and she turned around to verify his accusation. Realizing that he was right, and her nose _was_ indeed mere inches from coming into contact with the trunk of a lush chinaberry, Xi Tian's face soon assumed the same shade of red as the _meis_ now in Zhao Yun's hands.

"Oh, why is it that I always have to be crashing into trees every time I see you?" she hissed annoyedly to herself, recalling the occasion when she'd first met a blood-soaked Zhao Yun at her father's estate and had almost plowed right through a pear tree in her haste to flee from the war-worn hero.

Seeing her woebegone face, Zhao Yun couldn't help but smile, before gallantly picking out the showiest spray of _mei_ blossoms and holding it before the young handmaid by means of a peace offering.

"I'm sorry; it was rude of me to laugh at your distress, Orchid," he apologized, but couldn't resist adding with a roguish grin as Xi Tian started to accept his gift, "Cheer up, though—the rest of Lady Sun's handmaids are so impatient and sloppy, I'm sure you'll fit right in."

A swirl of tiny crimson petals lashed against his lips before he could say anything else. Xi Tian gloatingly stepped back and giggled at the rather ridiculous sight before her eyes: the brave and mighty Little Dragon of Changshan, standing in the middle of a stone path, holding a gargantuan white-and-blue vase in his arms while trying to blow off a smattering of delicate _mei_ blossoms from his mouth.

"Oh, you're hopeless," she taunted, as she observed the Tiger General do battle with one last remaining petal that was stubbornly refusing to be dislodged by puffs of breath alone.

Feeling that she had won, Xi Tian could now afford to be generous. Stepping over toward her vase thief, she took away the porcelain monstrosity that stood as a barrier between them, and set it on the ground. Zhao Yun's eyes widened when she leaned even closer, until less than an inch of space separated their faces.

"Orchid…" he started to whisper huskily.

Xi Tian didn't reply, only reached up with one hand and gracefully brushed away the one lingering carmine petal.

"All done," she looked up and smiled, accidentally locking eyes with him for a moment so that she couldn't help blushing herself.

"Don't give me that look," she breathed softly, not knowing why she was whispering, only feeling that she ought to lower her voice when speaking so scandalously close to his gently parted lips.

"What look?" Zhao Yun asked in a low, almost playful murmur.

Xi Tian hesitated, as if unable to come up with a proper reply. Her pause proved just long enough for a pair of rabidly fighting squirrels to dart across their path, shrieking acrimoniously at each other and at the flower vase whenever they bumped into its cold, smooth surface. Xi Tian let out a little yell of her own upon seeing the expensive porcelain begin to tilt heavily on its base. Both she and Zhao Yun rushed forward to steady the container, nearly bumping heads together in the process.

"I should go now," Xi Tian mumbled, clearing her throat and steadfastly avoiding making eye contact with the young warrior before her.

Zhao Yun flushed slightly, before picking up the vase for her and offering chivalrously, "Let me carry this for you; it's too heavy for a handmaid to be hauling around all day."

Xi Tian smirked coyly when she heard his proposal, and sassed while upturning her nose at him, "All right, but you'd better not point out my clumsiness anymore!"

"And _you_ won't try to attack me with your little _meis_, either, right?" Zhao Yun retorted with an easygoing laugh.

"Fine, I won't," Xi Tian innocently batted her eyelashes, only to turn around a moment later and hit him right on the nose with a lotus blossom plucked from her hair.

"Hey…!" Zhao Yun started to protest indignantly, but Xi Tian only giggled and danced out of his way, singsonging over her shoulder, "You specified _meis,_ but you didn't say I can't use any other types of flowers!"

* * *

"So you honestly don't care that I can't play the _qin_ or compose poetry?" Sun Shang Xiang was demanding.

"Quite frankly, I've heard enough _qin_ music from General Zhou Yu these past few days to last me a lifetime," Liu Bei replied, earning a laugh from the young woman perched on her tree.

"Just wait until my brother tries to accompany him on the _se!_ You'll be hearing that nightmare in your head for weeks on end!" the young queen joked, before something like realization struck her eyes and she yelled down, annoyed, "Hey, don't try to change the subject! I'm still supposed to be angry with you!"

"Yes, but might you be angry with me here on the ground?" Liu Bei asked. His wife _was_ slender, but that cypress was starting to look more and more precarious with each passing minute…

Silence was his initial reply. Finally, Sun Shang Xiang stipulated, "I might consider it—_if_ you'll promise that you won't ever try to change me to be more feminine like that little flirt in pink!"

"You mean Orchid?" Liu Bei guessed, wincing.

The reply was curt and immediate: "Who else could I possibly mean?"

"Lady, I would never dare try to change you," Liu Bei swore sincerely.

"Promise," Sun Shang Xiang insisted.

Liu Bei smiled to himself. The fearless daughter of the Tiger of Jiang Dong might like to think herself grown-up, but in some ways, she was still such a child.

"I promise," he reassured her.

Sensing, rather than seeing, her grin at his answer, he became bold enough to venture, "I can trust, however, that you will be kind enough not to take out your anger on your handmaid Orchid?"

Sun Shang Xiang had started to climb down, but upon hearing his hopeful request, she stopped midway. Tossing back her head, the warrior princess declared with a contemptuous laugh, _"My_ handmaid Orchid? Hah! Any handmaid of _mine_ is going to have to learn how to fight!"

* * *

_1. A monetary unit used in ancient China._


	26. Chapter Twenty Six: Gracelessness, Thy N...

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Gracelessness, Thy Name is Xi Tian**

_An out-of-place orchid fares sadly in the midst of a training field._

* * *

As head of Sun Shang Xiang's elite team of bodyguards, Phoenix had been handed more than her share of bizarre, dubious, and rather unenviable missions. From leading battle raids to being forced to coach a then-bachelor Sun Ce in his attempts at wooing a beautiful unshaved nun, the twenty-two-year-old captain had both seen and done it all.

Yet, a week after the reconciliation between her mistress and the king of Shu, the poised and unshakable Phoenix couldn't help but goggle in dismay upon hearing her newest assignment, even as the aforementioned mistress blithely finished dictating some last-minute instructions.

"…Now, naturally I'm not expecting another Fu Hao_(1)_ by the end of her training, but at least she should be able to tell the difference between a spear and a halberd by the time we have to sail to the Shu kingdom later this week. Oh, and check with Su Lin to see if she has some extra armor she can lend to her—they look to be about the same size, don't you think? Except, of course, Su Lin's shoulders are a bit broader. Also, make sure that Gan Ning doesn't get his paws anywhere near her, you know how he likes to flirt with all my new recruits and make them think that they have to first wrestle with him to show that their fighting skills are strong enough to merit them their position as one of my bodyguards, that spiky-haired pervert! Well, I'd better get going now; my brothers are taking Xuande hunting today, and I've got to make sure they don't end up taking their little fun and games to a brothel; bye!" Sun Shang Xiang rattled off breathlessly, before pivoting on her heels and disappearing in a whirlwind of russet hair and gleaming chakrams.

She left behind the hapless Phoenix, whose only reaction was to blink and remain rooted to her spot—a little bewildered, a little overwhelmed, and noticeably speechless. Several seconds passed before the young captain had recovered enough to take a good look at this 'new recruit' that her queen had latched her with. When she finally did, she could barely suppress a groan of dismay.

The girl was wearing silk. Worse than that, she was wearing _pink_ silk. Pink, delicately embroidered silk. Phoenix didn't even need to take notice of the equally pink flowers in her hair to know that this girl had not been born to ever wield arms. She heaved a sigh. Perhaps a bow and arrow instead?…Or maybe war fans, like the ones used by the Qiao Sisters…

"Come with me," she finally ordered. "Magnolia, is it? No, wait—Sunflower, am I right?"

Xi Tian shrugged, unconcerned. She couldn't really complain about the other girl's forgetfulness—not when she herself had gotten _Phoenix's_ name wrong on more than one occasion, calling the athletic bodyguard Oriole five minutes after first meeting her, and Peacock another five minutes after being corrected.

"It's Orchid, actually," she reminded her captain, who had begun walking toward the training grounds while the two were reintroducing themselves to each other.

"Of course. Now, Orchid, there's no need to be apprehensive; I won't just throw a sword in your hands and send you off to battle," Phoenix was saying, while crossing the distance with smart, loping strides.

Xi Tian, surprisingly, managed to more or less keep up. Phoenix, seeing that the handmaid wasn't quite as dainty as she'd initially feared, began to regain some confidence. _Maybe this girl wouldn't be so hopeless…_

"Like Lady Sun said, none of us are expecting a new general by the end of your training," she added generously.

_…After all, she'd whipped worse recruits into shape. The Lei twins had been a nightmare to train—squeamish, vain, and with attention spans that would put a fly to shame. Plus, they'd kept sneaking off to flirt with Zhou Tai, Gan Ning, Taishi Ci, Lu Xun…_

"Just out of curiosity," Phoenix began, as they approached the training grounds and the sounds of clashing metal drifted to their ears, _"can_ you actually tell the difference between a spear and a halberd?"

_…And now, look at them: The twins were some of the most outstanding archers in Sun Shang Xiang's unit! Yes, by the Heavens, she could do it! If she had made proper bodyguards out of those two troublesome chits, then certainly she could handle this one girl's training as well!_

They had reached a wide expanse of flat land by then, and were greeted by the sight of two Wu officers practicing their swordsmanship: Zhou Yu and Lu Xun were sparring against each other, while Xiao Qiao stood at the sidelines, happily cheering her husband on.

"Oh, definitely, I can tell the difference between the two," Xi Tian replied with an unconscious proud tilt of her head. "A spear is like what General Zhao is always carrying around, while a halberd is like what my former fiancé—ah, I mean, my former _mistress's_ fiancé—used to always carry around."

_…Of course, as soon as the Lei twins had perfected their skills with the bow and arrow, they'd immediately transferred themselves to Zhou Tai's unit so as to better dazzle their enigmatic, scarred hero with their newfound prowess…_

"…Eh heh…right." Phoenix's shoulders sagged upon hearing Xi Tian's bright reply, all her previous confidence deserting her with a near-audible whoosh. "Well, how about we just stick you with a war fan instead of a pole arm?"

"But first," she suggested, edging her companion forward so that the latter might get a clearer view of Zhou Yu and Lu Xun's practice, "how about you simply observe a duel? Think of it as an introduction to the art of war."

_And a few minutes of peace,_ the young captain silently added. _After all, how much trouble can one girl be if she's just watching Wu's best warriors practice?_

* * *

Sima Yi looked appreciatively at an adorable handmaid dressed in sunshine yellow as she charmingly poured tea for the men present. The sweet-faced beauty finished her task and moved to stand behind her master's chair, just as Old Man Jia finished consulting his books and looked up.

"These are all auspicious days on which to have a wedding," the fortune-telling master declared, pointing at the pages with one gnarled, bony finger.

Cao Cao and Sima Yi exchanged meaningful looks over their teacups, before the latter cleared his throat and began nonchalantly, "Then you agree that the pair is, without a doubt, well-suited for each other, Master?"

Old Man Jia coughed into his shrunken fist, muttering, "I was mistaken in my initial assessment of the maiden and her young gentleman. It is now clear to me that there couldn't be a better-matched pair under the Heavens, saving of course yourself, Lord Mengde, and the eminent Lady Bian."

When he finished speaking, he took a sip of tea, afterwards setting the porcelain cup down and wiping at his lips with an expensive-looking brocade handkerchief…a handkerchief which had been noticeably absent before his first visit with Sima Yi.

Sima Yi himself now settled back with a pleased smirk on his face. His right arm was a soft blur of violet silk as he slowly fanned himself, apparently mulling over the full effects of Old Man Jia's proclamation. He finally nodded to himself, and motioned his winsome handmaid forward.

"Ying Ying." His voice, though soft, hinted that his was a command never to be disobeyed.

_"Ai?(2)"_ The bright young girl was instantly at his side, her friendly russet eyes sparkling with an endearing smile.

Sima Yi leaned over and whispered some instructions into her ears, causing her lips to part slightly, as though in surprise.

"Don't just stand there like a silly girl," her master reproved irritably, when Ying Ying seemed to hesitate. "Go on."

_"Ai,"_ the handmaid repeated obediently, before hurrying away in a whirlwind of yellow silk.

* * *

_How much trouble can one girl be if she's just watching Wu's best warriors practice?_ _Obviously, a lot!_ Phoenix inwardly fumed, her mind a frazzled turmoil of frustration and disbelief. She should have known better than to assume that a handmaid named after a flower would be safe to have around weaponry! Or men! Or especially men carrying weaponry!

Xi Tian's training had started off on a reasonably good note. She'd kept her hands to herself, and refrained from speaking too many words as she watched the sparring between Zhou Yu and Lu Xun. Phoenix had suspected that this new reticence of the normally pert handmaid's was a direct result of her not paying enough attention to the two men's fighting techniques to really comment on them. Nevertheless, things were going smoothly, and Phoenix wasn't about to complain.

The problem arose when, towards the end of the sparring, Zhou Yu managed to knock away one of Lu Xun's Flash Fly Swallow sabers. It had spun several yards across the ground before coming to a rest at the startled Xi Tian's feet, and its owner had politely asked the handmaid if she would mind returning it to him: A harmless request, except that Xi Tian had proceeded to drop the blade when she reached the boy. Needless to say, somebody had almost lost his big toe that morning!

Successive visits to Taishi Ci, Lu Meng, Sun Ce, and Zhou Tai had sadly yielded similar results. When Phoenix, in desperation, had taken her charge to Gan Ning, the ex-pirate had promptly taken to flirting with his lady guests, turning his bodyguards into flower-gatherers and serenaders in an effort to impress the easily-impressed Xi Tian.

Phoenix shook her head, observing the handmaid walking beside her out of the corner of her eyes.

"I have a feeling there is only one man around here capable of training you without losing a toe or gaining a new scar," she muttered under her breath.

It would be a cruel surprise to the unsuspecting Xi Tian, but the exasperated Phoenix simply had no other choice left.

* * *

_"Gao ci."_

With those words, Old Man Jia shook out his sleeves and departed, his bent figure leaning on a cane as he discreetly left the room.

Cao Cao took up the teapot that Ying Ying had left behind, and poured an adequate helping of the beverage for both himself and his strategist.

"Oolong tea," he murmured, sniffing appreciatively at the distinctive fragrance of the hot liquid. "Refined, lightly fermented, and made with under-boiled water. A good choice, Zhongda."

"Thank you, Lord Mengde," Sima Yi replied politely, raising his own cup to his lips and blowing lightly at the steaming drink to cool it.

He looked up when he sensed, rather than saw, his king arch an eyebrow. Setting down his cup, Sima Yi cleared his throat before asking, "Something troubles you, my lord?"

Cao Cao's response was to take a sip of tea.

"I was hoping you would take this opportunity to explain your matchmaking business to me, Zhongda," he hinted meaningfully, his mouth and mustache partially hidden behind his teacup.

Sima Yi darted a discreet look at the doorway, and the two soldiers standing on guard dutifully closed the doors to ensure privacy. Only when this precaution had been taken did Sima Yi feel comfortable enough to reveal his plan.

"My lord, if you'll recall, on the day that Old Man Jia first came here, we were in the middle of discussing a re-conquest of Jingzhou," he began.

"Go on."

"Had we not agreed that to truly win over the people of that province, we must first secure an ally they both recognize and respect? An old magistrate, perhaps, or a war hero from that region…or maybe even a well-loved former governor?" Sima Yi drawled.

Cao Cao set his cup down with a bang, nearly sloshing darkly-colored tea over the smooth mahogany surface of his desk.

"Lord Xi!" The name was uttered in a harsh whisper, as a light of realization began to dawn upon the cunning king's eyes.

"Lord Xi is a wasted and sickly man, old before his years," Sima Yi observed bluntly. "He has little time left on this earth to live."

Cao Cao was silent for a few moments, as he brooded over this new plan that his strategist was unveiling. He slowly raised his eyes, as piece by piece the puzzle came together, and mused out loud, "On the other hand, there _is_ still one surviving member from the House of Xi…"

"Its last daughter," Sima Yi agreed. "And if an officer of Wei, a young suitor whom Lord Xi is known to be quite fond of, boasts Xi _Gu Niang_ as his bride…"

"…Then it will certainly bring Wei one step closer toward earning the trust of the citizens of Jingzhou," Cao Cao finished.

Sima Yi looked pleased.

"Lord Mengde, I'm honored that you understand and approve of my strategy." He bowed deeply to demonstrate his gratitude.

At that moment, the doors to the room slowly creaked open, and Ying Ying stepped inside.

"My lord, I have brought the young general as per your request," she announced in a spirited tone.

Both Cao Cao and Sima Yi looked up.

Jiang Wei stood at the doorway, a mask of mild confusion lingering on his boyish face. He stepped uncertainly inside the room, and bent in a respectful bow when his superiors glanced in his direction.

"You wanted to see me, General Sima Yi?" the handsome trident-wielder asked politely.

* * *

Zhao Yun strode briskly across the labyrinthine gardens of the Wu palace, his Fierce Dragon held expertly in his hands. Enough days had been wasted on parties and post-wedding merrymaking, and the young Tiger General was anxious to return to Shu. It was never wise to leave any territory unguarded for too long; else, the ever-ambitious Cao Cao would surely invade…

He stopped when his ears detected what sounded like a faint, muffled sneeze erupting in the air. Had he heard right? Was someone else there? Zhao Yun's eyes scanned the seemingly deserted garden—graceful willows, towering dogwood, never-ending grass that swept across the landscape like the feathers of a peacock's tail…

Wait! What was that discordant note of lotus-pink doing amidst all the greenery? Zhao Yun felt a smile tug at his lips, as he instantly guessed the identity of the handmaid hiding behind a row of white-frothed hibiscus shrubs. A few furtive steps were all it took to close the gap between himself and the girl in pink. For a few seconds, Zhao Yun thought about setting down his spear and covering her eyes with his hands, just to see her reaction. He decided against the prank when he recalled that she didn't exactly take too well to surprises—her accidental plunge into the Chang Jiang was a particularly unforgettable reminder of that.

"Don't tell me you're trying to avoid your training, Orchid," he teased, and had to chuckle when Xi Tian nearly fell forward with surprise upon hearing his voice.

After looking frantically behind Zhao Yun and determining that he was alone, Xi Tian calmed down enough to bewail, "I had to run away! I couldn't stand another minute of being around that horrid old man!"

Before the amused-looking Zhao Yun could even ask for the "horrid old man's" name, Xi Tian had already pouted and whined, "Tell me, why must General Huang Gai wear such an indecently small suit of armor?"

Zhao Yun didn't know whether to laugh or feel surprise that the only impression of that gruff but fearless old veteran Xi Tian had gone away with was that he was inappropriately dressed for his age.

"He's so rough and swarthy, and so awfully mean, and he won't stop hollering at me, and the words that he spat out—Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Xi Tian screeched indignantly, when she felt Zhao Yun's hand wrap around her arm and pull her up.

"Taking you back to your training," came the laughing reply. "You can't expect Lady Sun to accept you as her handmaid if you don't know how to fight."

"But I'll die if I have to go back and get hollered at by that scantily-clad old bull!" Xi Tian wept, trying futilely to resist.

"It'll only be for a few more days. We're heading back to Shu at the end of this week," Zhao Yun pointed out in a comforting voice.

Xi Tian stubbornly jutted her chin out, struggling to break free from his grasp.

"I don't care; I'm not going back," she huffed, pinching at his biceps with the hope that the stinging sensation might induce him to set her free. "Leave me alone! It's too hot a day to be training, anyway; I want to go take a bath."

Zhao Yun dropped her arm, and slowly began to redden as soon as the too-intimate word "bath" escaped from her innocent lips. Both fell silent, as the full implication of what Xi Tian had just said slowly sank in. Zhao Yun struggled against the inappropriate ideas and images trying to assault his head, his blush visibly deepening with each passing second until his entire face and neck felt uncomfortably hot.

"Ah…ahem…" His throat suddenly felt dry. He coughed a couple of times, before trying again. "Orchid, if you detest General Huang Gai's training methods this much, I'll talk to Lady Sun and ask her to transfer you to my own unit."

Xi Tian instantly brightened up, forgetting her embarrassing little slip moments earlier as she chirped, "You mean that? And I won't ever have to go near an armory again, either?"

"Well, I was hoping that you would continue your training, just under my care instead of General Huang's…" Zhao Yun's voice trailed off, when he saw the beginnings of a moue emerging on her face. "But, since you'll probably just run away and hide again, I suppose it'll be little use to force you to learn how to fight. It'll be difficult to explain to Lady Sun and Lord Liu Bei why I'm keeping you, though, if I'm not teaching you in the art of war…"

"Oh, that's easy." Xi Tian flashed her most winning smile: "I can be _your_ handmaid instead!"

* * *

_1. A Shang Dynasty (1766 B.C.-1121 B.C.) Imperial consort and female general who participated in several war campaigns._

_2. An expression of realization or agreement._


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven: Chrysanthemums on ...

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Chrysanthemums_(1)_ on the Floor**

_Happiness slowly drifts down the Great River._

* * *

There are few instances when a father has felt such overwhelming happiness as Lord Xi did when he learned the news of his daughter's second engagement. The frail aristocrat was ceremoniously seated in Cao Cao's library, beside the chivalrous young man whom he'd come to respect as a scholar and love as a surrogate son. The same chivalrous young man who was now quietly blushing in his chair, while his plump, kind-faced mother beamed with pride.

"…I myself will act as the go-between and work out the details of this match—that is, if you will allow me the honor," Cao Cao, sitting across from the future in-laws, finished his grand speech with a flourish.

Lord Xi's face literally hurt from smiling so much. Several months earlier, when Cao Cao had promised to look after Xi Tian's marriage prospects, the young girl's father had lived in dread that she might be promised to a general every bit as fearsome as Lu Bu.

Now, as Lord Xi suddenly recalled his unfounded fears, he almost laughed out loud. Jiang Wei couldn't be more different from Lu Bu, and Lord Xi couldn't be happier that this was so. The young warrior-strategist was virtually the personification of the ideal son-in-law: intelligent, polite, well-educated, filial…The Heavens were finally smiling down on the House of Xi after its decade of sorrows.

Lord Xi got out of his chair, knelt down, and impulsively kowtowed before the man responsible for planning this match.

"Words cannot express my gratitude, Your Majesty," he almost wept with joy, and had Cao Cao not rushed forward to raise him, the old gentleman would have kept kowtowing until his forehead bled.

"There is no need for this, Old Sir. I made you a promise that I'd look out for Xi _Gu Niang's_ interests, and, after all, a girl's greatest interest is finding a suitable husband," the Wei king spoke elegantly, sweeping a satisfied look across the room.

The aged Lord Xi looked surprisingly vulnerable as he returned to his chair, shedding tears of joy that were only slightly embittered by the long and tragic years which had led up to this moment. Meanwhile, Jiang Wei remained shyly seated beside his mother, reddening under her merry felicitations and looking more like a little schoolboy than a groom-to-be.

Cao Cao hid a sinister smirk from his audience. They were so innocent and unsuspecting, these people. If he were to bring up the re-conquest of Jingzhou and his need of a recognizable ally the province's people would accept, none of the three sitting before him would have thought to make the connection.

"It's been a month since Shu's return from the South Land," he began in a casual drawl, "and as soon as Xi _Gu Niang's_ mission is complete, I will send one of my best officers to escort her back to Wei for her engagement."

* * *

Liu Bei looked down dubiously at his infant son. Swathed in downy, milk-colored sheets, head hidden beneath a too-large hat, and currently being held like one would a chakram, little Liu Chan looked just a _tad_ ridiculous.

So did, for that matter, the child's stepmother. As Liu Bei observed the pair interact—she gingerly trying to rock the baby, he in turn howling in outrage while being rudely jolted up and down—he began to fear for the pair's well-being once mother and son left for their ship.

"Lady, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, transferring the wailing Liu Chan to his own arms and gently demonstrating the correct way to rock a baby to sleep.

The frazzled Sun Shang Xiang shot her husband a smile of relief, as, in his father's lap, Liu Chan's screams slowly subsided into soft hiccups.

"Well, my mother still won't stop nagging me about grandchildren," she bemoaned ruefully, "and it's getting harder and harder to ignore all her letters."

"You _do_ realize that it's impossible to pass off Liu Chan as your own?" Liu Bei brought up carefully. "It's only been a month since we've come back from Wu…"

Sun Shang Xiang pinkened at the implication of his words.

"Oh, well, he's still her grandson-in-law; maybe he'll be enough to keep her quiet for a while," she predicted boldly.

Liu Bei hardly looked convinced.

"Let me at least send Zilong as your bodyguard," he requested, after a moment's silence.

Sun Shang Xiang rolled her eyes, and hopped off the desk she'd been sitting cross-legged on during their short conversation.

"Xuande, I can easily defend myself against any idiots seeking to capture my ship; I don't need a baby-sitter!" she complained childishly, yanking on his ears as if that would somehow prove her point.

Liu Bei winced; the girl was being unnecessarily forceful, so he gently ducked his head and wriggled out of her vise-like grip.

"Then think of him as my son's baby-sitter and bodyguard," he entreated, and under his pleading gaze, his wife gradually softened.

"Well…he _does_ have the dash through Chang Ban Slope to his credit," she agreed grudgingly, giving his ear one last jerk. "All right, fine. General Zhao may come with me…But that's it; I don't want anybody else tagging along, when I can take perfect care of both myself _and_ Liu Chan!"

And with those words, she wrestled the baby away from its father and resumed juggling it around, as though to prove her point. Liu Bei watched in consternation as the sleeping Liu Chan promptly woke up and resumed crying miserably.

"I'm sending Orchid with Zilong as well," he decided, while the flustered Sun Shang Xiang tried to soothe her stepson by making silly faces at him. "Hopefully, between the three of you, you'll be able to figure out how to safely transport my son across the Chang Jiang and back!"

* * *

Zhao Yun never was one who seemed to have much luck where handmaids were concerned. Previously, Liu Bei had assigned a succession of girls to the young Tiger's quarters so that they might keep his house in order, bring him tea, and perform other similar tasks.

When it became obvious that these bright-eyed minxes were only interested in catching a husband, the Shu king had wisely replaced them with sedate, older servants. Unfortunately, the latter group had proven to be no better, as its members immediately launched a campaign to pitch every single one of their daughters at their hapless bachelor lord.

And now, with Xi Tian…

Zhao Yun looked in dismay at the pools of misty silk strewn over his bed, at the multitude of hair combs and _chais_ littering his desk, at the patches of floor peeking out from beneath a rainbow sea of chrysanthemums which the girl had picked but found no other place to deposit. His ship's quarters hardly looked like an environment befitting a Tiger General. In fact, all it needed was some fragrant incense burning in the corner and a painting of Chang'e on the wall to complete the picture of…well, of a young girl's apartment. No wonder Zhang Fei had laughed so hard upon finding out who Zhao Yun's new handmaid was going to be!

"Tea?" At that moment, said new handmaid entered, carrying a small tray in her hands.

"It wouldn't happen to be pink, would it?" Zhao Yun wagged his eyebrows at her.

Xi Tian stuck out her tongue at him, but her laughing eyes betrayed any indignation she might have tried to feign.

"No, it's green tea, and you're mean," she sulked, wrinkling her nose at him as she set the beverage down on a little stool by his side.

"What I am is the laughingstock of all of Shu," Zhao Yun half-joked, pushing his drink aside as Xi Tian busied herself with picking up some flowers from the floor.

"And I suppose that's my fault?" She turned around, one hand on her hip, the other absently swishing a chrysanthemum back and forth.

Zhao Yun's eyes swept from the deep rose hue of her dress to the showy flowers in her hair, as he pointed out, "Well, you hardly look like the type of attendant a warrior might have."

Xi Tian pouted.

"You mean I'm not mannish enough for your tastes?" she giggled, purposely waving her chrysanthemum in his face so that the petals flicked his nose.

Unknown to them both, a new guest had appeared at the doorway. Seeing Zhao Yun playfully snatch the flower from his companion's hands and threaten to tickle her for her impertinence, the figure paused and smiled to itself, before deciding to hang back by the entrance and see what might happen next.

"Stop! Fine, fine; I promise I'll never say that again, General!" Xi Tian shrieked with laughter, wriggling out of the warrior's grasp and running foolishly around the room.

She finally managed to circle past him and made a beeline for the doors, almost bumping right into the visitor who'd been lingering unseen up till that moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, before dropping a polite curtsey and brushing past the other figure to disappear down the hall.

Zhao Yun leapt up when he recognized the svelte form of his new queen, and in the process nearly knocked over the stool bearing his teacup.

"Lady Sun!"

Sun Shang Xiang laughed merrily and flounced into the room, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she teased, "Oh, _now_ I see why you transferred the girl under your command!"

The feisty young queen would have added, "And under yourself sooner or later, I'm sure," but she had a feeling that it was a bit too vulgar, and would probably give the already blushing Zhao Yun a heart attack. Plus, Liu Bei would surely hear of her language in a roundabout way, and then _he_ would have a heart attack as well!

In the end, Sun Shang Xiang had to content herself with adding the less naughty line, "But really, Zilong, aren't you going a bit overboard with all these flowers? She'll drown in a sea of petals before you'll ever have a chance to woo her!"

Zhao Yun coughed discreetly, willing his flaming cheeks to return to their normal color.

"Lady Sun, I don't think this is an appropriate time to be discussing—" he started to stammer.

"Nonsense, we're in the middle of the Chang Jiang, with nothing better to do than discuss your love life," Sun Shang Xiang giggled. "So tell me, Zilong, which debonair playboy taught you to flirt like that? Or was tickling her to death your own bright idea?"

"Lady Sun, please…" Zhao Yun's voice drifted off, unsure of which protest to use.

Sun Shang Xiang cheerfully pretended to not have heard his pleas. Instead, she turned to the hallway and flagged the nearest person passing by.

"Hey, Phoenix," she sang out to her bodyguard, "guess which pretty little flower has caught our very own General Zhao Zilong's heart?"

"Flower, huh?" The young captain stepped inside and smirked. "Well, I haven't been blind this past month, so I would have to say…hmm…the handmaid Orchid!"

"None other," her leader crowed, causing Phoenix's smirk to widen while she observed, "Is that why you were so jealously quick to transfer Orchid from General Huang Gai's unit to your own, General Zhao? Don't tell me you were afraid that the old veteran might sweep her off her feet with his gruff insults and…ah, bull-like prowess!"

And the two girls collapsed into whoops and snickers, while a crimson Zhao Yun shuffled his feet and looked helplessly on.

"_Aiya,_ don't be so embarrassed, Zilong!" Sun Shang Xiang calmed down long enough to wipe away some tears of laughter from her eyes. "We won't tell anyone. Besides, you and Orchid would make an adorable couple!"

Zhao Yun tactfully avoided looking at his queen for the rest of the trip down the river.

* * *

_1. In the Chinese culture, chrysanthemums are generally thought to represent happiness and cheerfulness._


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight: River Mist

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: River Mist**

_Unforeseen affairs arise on the sublime green waters._

* * *

River mist. It crept gently upon him as he navigated the Chang Jiang, diaphanous and chastely white, weaving an illusion of sailing across a cloud. It spread its hazy cloaks around him, seductively lulling his alert dark eyes into laxness. It was everywhere: in front of him, behind him, around him, entwining his body in its ethereal coolness, gently caressing his face with fine droplets of moisture. The river mist slowly overcame his senses, until he felt at last as if he had stepped into a dream world—a fragile realm devoid of human ideas of time and reality, war and peace, right and wrong.

Yet from the frigidly vestal whiteness there emerged a manifestation of earthly vitality: warm and lively and sensuous, rosy cheeks dimpled with merry laughter. He recognized her at once as she joined him on the ship's deck—her luxuriant raven hair, her charmingly golden eyes…her smiling lips.

Her lips, which slowly took on a vibrant carmine hue, as she moved closer to him. He wanted to tease her about her less-than-impressive dive into the Chang Jiang once upon a time, just to see those lips turn down in a pout.

"Orchid." Her name slipped off his tongue as she took her seat beside him, drawing a lotus out of her hair and impishly tucking it somewhere between the inky tendrils of his ponytail.

Though initially caught off-guard that she should play the same prank twice, he nevertheless recovered soon enough and reached up to weed out the pesky ornamental flower. He could see her lips curve merrily as she giggled at his reaction, not even bothering to hide her mirth. She had the upper hand and she knew it, and he wanted to momentarily sweep her feet—and her confident sass—from under her, so he boldly leaned in and claimed her lips with his own.

At least this time, her surprise wasn't so great as to warrant a second accidental plunge into the river.

* * *

"The linked verse incident in Wu caused some tension in the marriage, but it appears that Liu Xuande and Lady Sun have since worked out their differences."

"A small spat can eventually lead to greater quarrels. That was merely the first step. Continue."

"There might also be some disagreement within the Sun-Liu marriage concerning children. For what it's worth, Wu seems to be pressuring Liu Xuande to sire a worthier heir—an heir with Sun blood."

Here, Xiahou Dun paused for a moment, before grudgingly adding, "Also, Xi _Gu Niang_ thanks my lord for her new gold _chai."_

Cao Cao chuckled as he stroked his goatee and listened to the finish of his most trusted cousin's report.

"She is a sweet child, is she not?" he observed, smiling into his mustache when he saw Xiahou Dun turn his head to hide a tight-lipped scowl.

The one-eyed warrior obviously had little love for the girl who never failed to poke around his empty socket or waste his time with her inane prattling, and had made his feelings known on more than one occasion.

"I have never seen a sillier chatterbox," he remarked in a gruff snarl, causing Cao Cao to chuckle again and concede, "Perhaps, but I can't let my little spy think that Wei is filled with angry men who go around breaking young girls' jewelry."

Xiahou Dun hardly looked amused by Cao Cao's jesting remark, but before he could be troubled with thinking up an appropriate comeback, a new figure strode into the room.

Sima Yi wore a carefully guarded mask over his slyly handsome features, but the brisk pace of his strides betrayed his anxiousness: Some new complication must have arisen, a complication the meticulous strategist had clearly not anticipated.

"General Xiahou." The youthful Wei officer dropped a stiff bow, and his elder had little trouble guessing that his own presence was no longer required.

Turning to his cousin, Xiahou Dun announced, "If my lord no longer needs me, I shall excuse myself."

"Very well," Cao Cao nodded, and Xiahou Dun tactfully took his leave, the heavy blade of his Kirin Fang banging dully against his booted calves as he marched out of the room.

Cao Cao's sentries closed the doors after that man's exit, leaving Sima Yi alone with his lord.

"What's wrong?" the king of Wei demanded neutrally, lifting a disapproving eyebrow toward his tactician's hasty countenance.

"The old man unexpectedly collapsed a few hours ago," Sima Yi revealed in a grim murmur.

While his lord started in surprise at the news, he added confidentially, "He is currently bedridden with what the doctors believe might be the first stages of consumption."

Cao Cao sighed with displeasure, not needing to ask for the name of "the old man."

"Lord Xi." It was a statement rather than a question.

"He is the only one feeble enough to succumb to an illness of that nature in such mild weather," came the clipped reply.

"How did this happen?" Cao Cao started to inquire, before quickly dismissing his concern and instead demanding, "Never mind. How will this affect our plans?"

"We will have to bring Xi _Gu Niang_ back to Xuchang as soon as possible," Sima Yi decided reluctantly. "It may be months before Lord Xi passes on, or it may be mere days. In either case, he must first publicly give his blessings for the match with Boyue, and the girl, like a good filial daughter, must be seen by his side at all times. If the wasted old fool dies before he can do even this, it will surely diminish the legitimacy of the Xi-Jiang union in the eyes of Jingzhou's citizens."

Cao Cao considered these ominous words for several seconds. A heavy silence fell on the room, before the ruler of Wei sighed and instructed his strategist, "Zhongda, see if you can catch up to General Xiahou. I have a message I want you to deliver to him."

Sima Yi bowed respectfully: "I am listening, my lord."

"Tell my cousin not to unsaddle his horse just yet, as he'll have some hard riding ahead of him."

* * *

Where had he gotten the courage—nay, the audacity—to draw the handmaid into his arms and kiss her?

He didn't know how he came to be so reckless, didn't know why he so unthinkingly surrendered to his sudden illogical yearning to possess her, didn't know where this yearning had come from or why…why she didn't resist.

Perhaps he would never know.

All he knew was that, hidden from prying eyes by this too-ephemeral river mist, he could transcend all conventions of reason and logic. That, if he didn't seize this opportunity now, it would inevitably trickle from his grasp, never to be recovered. That the girl's velvety lips against his own heated mouth only stoked his desire, rather than soothe its flames. He kissed her as if he wanted to transfer his fire to her yielding body and let it consume her innocent soul, his covetous mouth drawing from her tiny sighs against his hot breath.

Tomorrow, there would be repercussions for his rash decision. Tomorrow, there would be guilt over his inappropriate conduct with his little Orchid. But tonight, embraced on all sides by the seductive river mist, there was only the sensation of his lips upon hers, the sounds of her soft moans, the sight of her flushed cheeks and invitingly alabaster skin.

He slowly kissed a trail down her neck and shoulders as they sank to the floor together. His searing lips left near-visible marks on her pale skin as he moved on to her collarbone, to her heaving chest and the gentle rise of her breasts…

Zhao Yun woke up with a start. The enticing carmine lips and hazy white mist faded, before slowly vanishing into the shadows of his familiar ship quarters. He was sitting up in his narrow bed, a twisted cotton sheet pooling around his lap. His disheveled hair was matted to the back of his neck, his forehead was slick with sweat, and his muscular frame was clothed only in the unflatteringly plain pair of hempen pants he'd worn to bed. Yes, he was certainly going to woo a fair maiden in _this_ get-up!

Sun Shang Xiang's teasing words replayed through his tired mind: "You and Orchid would make such an adorable couple!" Zhao Yun buried his face into his palms as he remembered the wicked observations, all of them about his affectionate relationship with a certain handmaid, that the new queen of Shu had delighted in torturing him with over the past few days. Her inappropriate jokes must have been responsible for this equally inappropriate dream! Yes, that must be it…

"I see you're awake." Xi Tian appeared at the doorway, struggling with the weight of a basin of water she was balancing in her arms.

Zhao Yun almost hit his head on the overhanging wooden beams when he heard her familiar voice, only to recover and almost fall off his bed when he sensed her beginning to approach him.

"Ah…yes." When he could finally bring himself to look at her without recalling his dream, he noticed her pinken slightly and avert her eyes as she stood at the foot of his bed.

It took a while for him to remember that he was only half-dressed. Zhao Yun coughed in embarrassment, before hastily removing the cotton sheet from his lap and flinging it over his unclothed torso and chest. Then he realized how lightly-colored was the material his pants were made of, crimsoned, and hastily returned the sheet to its original position.

"Would you mind leaving for five minutes?" he started to request, figuring he could find a decently clean shirt and throw it on in that time.

Xi Tian smirked at the uncomfortable tone in his voice.

"Don't you want to at least wash your face first, or are you going to greet Lady Sun in all your sweaty glory?" she teased laughingly, as she bent to set the basin down on a little table by his bed.

Zhao Yun crimsoned even further when he observed up-close the redness of her lips and the exposed creamy skin of her neck—those same lips and neck that he'd ravished so short a while ago, even if it only had been in a faraway land of mists and illusions.

"General Zhao, are you feeling well?" Xi Tian's innocent question broke into his thoughts. "Your face is so flushed and your eyes look so strange and unfocused…"

"I'm fine," he hastily interrupted her analysis, while inwardly despairing at Sun Shang Xiang for putting all those scandalous ideas into his head.

He could see that it was going to be a rough journey to and back from Wu. Not only would he have to avoid looking at his queen throughout the length of the trip, but now, he would be unable to meet the eyes of his handmaid as well!


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine: Zhuge Liang Discuss...

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Zhuge Liang Discusses Capricious Love**

_…Yet who would have thought that a simple discussion could have brought forth such unexpected consequences?_

* * *

_"A thousand years ago, when history was still young, all that lies beneath the Heavens was under the rule of a single emperor. However, during a tour of his nation, the emperor was unexpectedly claimed by the pitiless House of Death. It is said that when his two beloved consorts heard the news of his passing, they became inconsolable with grief._

_For an eternity, they searched the vast land for his entombed body, until at last they arrived at the Xiang River where he was said to have succumbed to Death's cold domain. There, the two faithful ladies wept with such sorrow that the nearby bamboo became speckled with their bitter tears._

_And that is where we get the name for the Xiang Fei(1) bamboo—Xiang after the river where the tears rained down, Fei in honor of the two loyal consorts."_

_Lady Song glanced down at her peacock-feather fan—a fan made with the very same Xiang Fei bamboo of the legend she'd just finished telling. She was an arresting woman—fair as the finest white jade, sublimely beautiful…and nigh drained of all her life forces as she reclined tiredly on her sickbed._

_Her last child, aptly named Love, had suffered her through an excruciatingly difficult birth. Now, smiling down tenderly at the baby that was to cost her her life, Lady Song knew she would have no lingering regrets once she did leave this world._

_Her three other daughters were gathered in a semi-circle around their mother's bed, lined up in descending order of height and age and each kneeling on a padded silk cushion. They were still so young—the eldest hardly nine—and Lady Song mentally corrected herself: She would have one regret once she left this world, that regret being that she would never see her four darling daughters grow up and get married. And they, all four of them, were such pretty, charming creatures, surely they would make excellent matches…wouldn't they?_

_Wouldn't they?_

_Lady Song felt a pang of motherly concern over her daughter's futures, but the sweet voice of her first girl brought her mind back to the present._

"_Mother, someday I will find a gentleman whom I'll love as faithfully as the Xiang River consorts loved their emperor," the exquisite Xi Lien vowed, a dreamy smile touching the corners of her perfectly-formed cherry lips._

"_Me too," Xi Yue, graceful as the Moon that was her namesake, echoed the oath._

"_Not me, Mother," another voice piped up, before declaring willfully, _"I_ would rather find a gentleman who'll love _me_ as faithfully as the consorts loved their emperor."_

_Lady Song looked down with surprise at her third daughter. But, after all, the little imp had always been a bit spoiled by her doting father and amah, so in the end, it wasn't terribly surprising that she should seek that kind of adoration from her future husband as well._

"_Child, where will you find such a devoted lover?" Lady Song reproved in a mild, teasing voice._

_Five-year-old Xi Tian stuck out her lower lip in a determined pout._

"_I'll find him," she declared naïvely. "If I have to travel to the end of the world, I'll find him…"_

* * *

A shower of golden sunrays peeked in through the ship cabin's window, illuminating the darkly-speckled Xiang Fei wood of a fine-haired calligraphy brush. Xi Tian noticed the simple yet elegant pattern on her brush's handle, and briefly remembered the old tale of the two loyal consorts for whom the bamboo was named after. Her mother must have told her that story a thousand times, and after each time, she had left the sick woman's chamber childishly swearing that she would one day find her own True Love—the love of a young man whose tears would move even nature.

Of course, those had just been girlish fantasies, spun more than ten years earlier from colorful legendry and a bright imagination. Life—and the fatal fates of her two older sisters—had taught Xi Tian that the fairer sex could evoke all sorts of passions in a man, just not his love. A beautiful and gracious girl, like her doomed sister Xi Lien, led to wanton, volatile possessiveness. A bright and talented girl, like her tragic sister Xi Yue, roused only fearsome jealousy.

Xi Tian herself hadn't had much luck in finding that elusive True Love whose devotion could transcend the laws of nature. It seemed like she just didn't have much luck where men were concerned: First, there was her scandalously disastrous engagement to Lu Bu, and now, with Zhao Yun…

…Well, for the past couple of days, Zhao Yun couldn't seem to string two words together in her presence. She had a sneaky suspicion that he was avoiding her on purpose lately, ever since she'd teased him about being a sweaty abomination that morning he'd looked so strange and feverish.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Orchid, I didn't know you were here," a familiar male voice broke into her thoughts.

Xi Tian looked up, to see Zhao Yun standing at the doorway and talking to the floor. Or at least, it seemed that way, seeing how he absolutely refused to meet her eyes. The young handmaid stood up, abandoning her calligraphy practice to curtsey before her new lord.

"No need to apologize; you weren't disturbing me at all," she reassured the embarrassed-looking warrior. "If anything, _I_ should be sorry, seeing as how I'm just sitting around wasting time, when General Zhao might be in need of my services."

Zhao Yun abruptly turned scarlet at her words, an act that failed to escape even her artless eyes.

"I meant, of course, if the general needs some tea, or perhaps for his handmaid to deliver any messages or fetch any objects he might need," Xi Tian added by way of explanation.

She began approaching him as she spoke, feeling it might look silly that she should stand all the way on the other end of the room and shout her words at him. However, Zhao Yun visibly reddened with each step she took, so that when she noticed, she hesitated mid-way, while he stood and blushed quietly by the doors.

"General? Are you feeling well?" It was a silly question, but Xi Tian honestly couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Fine. Just fine," Zhao Yun mumbled distractedly, backing out of the room and scrambling away without once looking at her in the face.

Xi Tian frowned in confusion after his retreating figure. Although he obviously didn't want to admit it, something had been troubling the young warrior these past few days…and his handmaid was somehow the cause. Just what exactly was it that she had done to make Zhao Yun feel so uncomfortable around her?

* * *

Liu Bei watched with little interest as a pair of brightly-patterned butterflies skimmed the quiet surface of a lake. Sun Shang Xiang should almost be at Wu by now…Had she arrived already? Had her ship docked safely at the harbor? Was she currently employing Liu Chan as a tool of appeasement against her redoubtable old mother?

"Something troubles you, my lord?"

Liu Bei turned around to see Zhuge Liang, robed and impeccably groomed, standing a few paces behind him. He hastily began smoothing out the worried wrinkles from his forehead and around his eyes, feeling a bit awkward at being caught brooding over his bride.

"Just thinking about—" he started to answer, when his chief strategist guessed, "Lady Sun?"

"You know me well, Kongming," Liu Bei admitted with a small smile.

Zhuge Liang slowly flicked his fan back and forth while he stepped up to join his king by the lake.

"There is no need to fear for Lady Sun's safety," he reassured the concerned husband. "Zilong's a pillar of strength; she is in capable hands."

"That is," he added slyly, after a brief pause, "if our Little Dragon doesn't allow himself to get too distracted by one of his shipmates."

Liu Bei had to laugh upon hearing the younger man's quip.

"You mean Orchid?" The question was unnecessary; both men knew exactly which "shipmate" might distract Zhao Yun from his duties.

Zhuge Liang joined in his lord's laughter with a few chuckles of his own.

"It's a shame Zilong has grown so attached to the girl, however." His next remark clearly surprised his lord, whose eyebrows flew up in alarm upon hearing the cryptic prediction, "Considering that young Miss Orchid may disappear at any given minute."

Liu Bei gaped uncomprehendingly at the prime minister of Shu, his mouth a round "O" of surprise as he stammered in a low voice, "I…I don't understand. Kongming, if there's anything you know that you aren't telling me—"

"My lord," Zhuge Liang spoke up with a half-smile, "haven't you ever thought it strange that a mere handmaid such as Orchid should be so well-educated as to be capable of leading a round of linked verse poetry with the aristocracy of the South?"

Liu Bei frowned, his forehead creasing in distress as he mulled the matter over.

"That _is_ unusual, but not improbable," he conceded in a vaguely defensive tone. "Since she used to work for a noble family, perhaps her previous mistresses taught her what she now knows."

"I always _did_ think it a bit odd that a mere handmaid should be both exceptionally well-versed and exceptionally well-dressed as well, so I had the cook keep an eye on her," Zhuge Liang disclosed rather nonchalantly.

"The cook…?" Liu Bei's face was a myriad of expressions, as slow realization battled with lingering confusion.

"Mrs. Bao was the only one in a position to give me detailed reports on the girl's activities…and those reports have had quite interesting things to say," Zhuge Liang drawled in a languid, almost careless tone. "For example: Do you know that the seemingly innocent Orchid has been exchanging letters with a strange gentleman? A gentleman with a suspicious strip of gold silk tied across one eye?"

Liu Bei's face flushed in alarm.

"You're not insinuating that…" he started to guess in a strangled whisper.

"Now, the girl could just be secretly meeting her paramour…although Mrs. Bao has observed that this mysterious gentleman with one eye acts decidedly _un_lover-like around his charming little maid," Zhuge Liang added with a small chuckle.

"She's a spy for Wei!" Liu Bei's features tightened. "And during the months that she's been staying here, who knows how many military and strategic secrets she could've leaked to Cao Cao and his men…"

"My lord, there is no need to fear." Zhuge Liang gave a confident smile. "She is vibrant, capricious, and still quite innocent; she is only a threat to General Zilong's heart, not to Shu itself."

"How can you be so sure…?" Liu Bei began uncertainly.

"My lord," Zhuge Liang pointed out, "the girl has never once been around during our strategy sessions; Mrs. Bao made sure to bully her into hiding every time something of even remote military importance was being discussed."

Liu Bei chuckled softly at this revelation.

"The poor child," he sympathized. "Mrs. Bao frightens _me_ sometimes."

"And even if Orchid _had_ been around during the sessions, she would've been too bored to remember anything. All that she could have revealed to Wei are the insignificant details they would have eventually found out, anyway," Zhuge Liang deduced. "If anything, it was rather useful keeping her around—she's served quite well to test the strength of your marriage to Lady Sun, and only Zilong has a reason to be troubled by her."

"Why do you say that?" By now, Liu Bei had sunken onto a large rock, feeling that he needed to take this precaution before his strategist unveiled any more surprises.

"Because the good and brave General Zhao Zilong seems quite taken with Orchid, and one never knows when she might be recalled to Wei by Cao Cao once this infiltration assignment of hers—if it could even be called that—is over," Zhuge Liang finished.

Before the king of Shu could respond, a new, thunderous voice blustered, "WHAT!"

Zhuge Liang abruptly stopped fanning himself, as both he and his lord turned around to identify the speaker.

The massive and swarthy form of Zhang Fei towered a few feet away, powerful, bristling, and only slightly tipsy. Eyes flaming with rage and nostrils flaring like a bull's, Zhang Fei was glaring in outrage at his sworn brother and his prime minister, as he bawled out, "You mean that little handmaid Zilong's so smitten with is actually a spy for _Wei?"_

Liu Bei warily stepped forward, raising one hand as if in an effort to calm his Third Brother.

"Yide, please lower your voice and don't try to do something stupid…" he counseled in a soothing voice.

"Nonsense! Nobody spies on Shu! Not even a woman!" Zhang Fei raged, wildly waving one fist around. "And if Cao Cao thinks he's so clever that he can get away with this dirty, underhanded plan…Well, I guess I'll just have to be clever myself and come up with my own underhanded plan to undo all his evil work!"

And in the blink of an eyelash, the headstrong master of the Serpent Spear had barreled off to do something stupid.

* * *

_1. Imperial consort_


	30. Chapter Thirty: Zhang Fei's Letter

**Chapter Thirty: Zhang Fei's Letter**

_More repercussions follow, when the Second Tiger of Shu attempts some scheming of his own._

* * *

Sun Shang Xiang spotted her oldest brother's ponytail long before she saw the other familiar details of Jianye. Aside from Sun Ce and his hair, however, no other officers could be discerned. It appeared as if the Wu welcoming committee was too busy elsewhere to provide much of a reception for its own princess's return. Sun Shang Xiang started to feel huffy…before she remembered the plan she'd been contemplating over the entire course of the journey down the Chang Jiang.

Up until that point, she hadn't quite decided whether to try it or not; the idea had seemed too desperate, too crazy, too…downright stupid, if she had to be honest. Many times, she'd been ready to dismiss it and just accept her fate: a lifetime's worth of nagging and lectures at the hands of the indomitable Lady Wu.

But now, here was Sun Ce, unshielded by the cleverness of Zhou Yu or the common sense of Sun Quan, as he waited for his sister's ship to dock at the harbor. The swaggering first prince made too good a guinea pig for Sun Shang Xiang to simply pass up this opportunity. Besides, it couldn't hurt to at least try, could it?

"Phoenix." Where was her trusted second when she needed her?

After several seconds, Phoenix at last emerged, gingerly holding Liu Chan in such a way as to suggest that the innocent babe might explode at any given second.

"Here, Lady Sun," the frazzled captain-turned-baby-sitter coughed weakly, her nose scrunching in disgust when Liu Chan burped and began drooling.

Sun Shang Xiang didn't look too thrilled herself…but she had a show to put on here. Unhappily, she transferred Liu Bei's only son from Phoenix's inexperienced arms into her own, equally clumsy ones. Meanwhile, her ship had lowered its anchors and her brother was already eagerly leaping onboard to greet the younger sister he hadn't seen in over a month.

"Hiya, Little Sis…or should I say, Little Queen?" Sun Ce called out exuberantly, a huge smile lighting up his face.

Sun Shang Xiang tried to emulate his cheerfulness, but her own smile fell sadly short of her brother's, and slipped off altogether when said brother observed, "You know, Little Sis, he's just a baby, not a firecracker."

Sun Shang Xiang reluctantly looked down at Liu Chan. Battle-hardened though she was, even she had to cringe when she saw that the infant had stopped slobbering all over her arms, and instead begun wailing in outrage at being held in such an undignified way.

"Oh, be quiet," she grumbled irritably at her laughing brother, while at the same time juggling her stepson in her arms, trying to find a more comfortable position for the both of them.

What a nuisance babies were! And now her mother was expecting her to bear a baby of her own! As Sun Shang Xiang silently fumed and wailed that she was too young to be saddled with offspring, her brother's voice broke into her inner monologue.

"I don't think your precious Xuande will be dancing for joy once he hears how horribly you've been abusing his son," Sun Ce teased, as he led his sister and her crew off their ship.

Sun Shang Xiang made a sour face at him.

"He's _my_ son, too," she snapped unconvincingly.

Sun Ce paused to wag his finger reprovingly in front of her face.

"Careful of what you say, Little Sis," he warned, adding in a mischievous tone, "Wouldn't want you to be haunted by the offended ghost of Lady Gan. Or was that Lady Mi who popped out the little booger?"

Sun Shang Xiang took a deep breath. Here was her cue to begin the charade.

"What are you talking about, you idiot?" she huffed, trying to sound insulted even as she steadfastly avoided looking him in the eye. "This is _my_ and Xuande's son, Liu, ah…"

A little girl ran past, shrieking with laughter, _"Bang zhu wo! _Help me! Help!" as she ran from the tickling menace that was her older brother.

"…Liu Bang," Sun Shang Xiang improvised unthinkingly. "This is _my_ son, Liu Bang. Lady Gan had nothing to do with him."

Sun Ce almost fell down when he heard the child's unusual name.

"Liu _Bang?" _he screeched incredulously. "You named the poor brat after the first emperor of the Han?"

Sun Shang Xiang reddened noticeably when she realized her mistake.

"Ah…why not?" she stammered defensively. "Xuande's a descendant from the Imperial House of Han; there's no shame in naming _our_ son after a glorious ancestor."

Her pitiful excuse only caused Sun Ce to whoop even harder, and his unrestrained guffaws exploded with such volume that Phoenix, Zhao Yun, and Xi Tian, walking several paces back, all looked up in surprise.

"Will you shut up?" Sun Shang Xiang hissed in annoyance, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment at her goof-up. "You sound like a lunatic, I swear you do!"

Her brother finally calmed down, and as he escorted his sister toward her carriage, he also began to merrily poke holes into her story.

"First of all, nobody would have the audacity to name her son after the great Emperor Gaozu," he began. "Second of all, not even you could have had a kid in just thirty days! I may not know much about these types of things, but I _do_ know that it's physically impossible for a woman to get pregnant and give birth over the period of a mere month."

"Lastly," Sun Ce flashed an impudent grin, "Liu Bei brought his son, Liu _Chan,_ with him when he came to Wu for the wedding, and I'm not so blind that I can't recognize the little brat, even if you _have_ fattened him up considerably. Hell, Little Sis, what have you been feeding the poor thing?"

Sun Shang Xiang's face fell.

"Great. If even _you_ weren't stupid enough to believe me," she moaned in despair, "then there's no way Mother will believe my story."

So much for it not hurting to at least try!

* * *

Cao Cao didn't particularly enjoy visiting sickbeds. Nor did he have the spare time, lately, to visit others' sickbeds. But, for the sake of keeping up appearances, the king of Wei found himself one afternoon making time out of his busy schedule to pay a visit to Lord Xi's chamber.

Jiang Wei and his mother were already at the consumptive man's bedside when Cao Cao was announced. Mother and son, though initially caught off-guard by this unexpected arrival, nevertheless did not forget their courtesy amidst their surprise.

"My lord Mengde," Jiang Wei bowed respectfully, and the kindly Mother Jiang hastened to follow in her son's example.

Cao Cao ceremoniously raised both of his subjects, pleasantly declaring that he was undeserving of such a warm welcome.

"How is Lord Xi doing?" he finally asked, looking past Mother Jiang's plump shoulders and at the worn old gentleman tossing and turning fitfully on his bed.

The pallor of death was upon Lord Xi's fragile face, and already, ugly bluish hues were making encroachments upon his cracked lips. His loosened hair looked very white under the harsh glint of the sun, and his skin appeared as faded and brittle as a worn scroll. There was little hope for recovery, and Cao Cao saw that all he could do now was pray that the old man's daughter might be retrieved before the House of Death claimed yet another soul.

"Dr. Hua has prescribed a tonic, and the servants are brewing it right now," Jiang Wei spoke up.

As if to prove his words, the handmaid Firelight somberly entered at that moment, carrying a medicine tray in her hands. She dipped slightly in a curtsey for the guests present, before striding toward her master's bed and raising his head so that he might take in some of the bitter black brew. Her attempts at spooning the remedy into Lord Xi's mouth proved futile, as the hot liquid instead slid out of his closed lips and trailed messily down his jaw and chin.

While the alarmed Firelight frantically dabbed at the coughed-up medicine with her crimson handkerchief, Jiang Wei added sadly, "Dr. Hua says that Xi _Da Ren's_ recovery, however, will depend largely on his strength of spirit, and not on any earthly pills or potions."

Cao Cao sighed heavily, a grave witness upon this scene of sickness and suffering.

"General Xiahou Dun is one of my most trustworthy officers; he'll be able to find Xi _Gu Niang_ and bring her back to Wei in no time," he declared with just the right amount of confidence and respect. "Perhaps her return will give Lord Xi the strength to combat this treacherous illness."

Before Jiang Wei could respond, a feminine figure, clad in shimmering yellow silk and wearing a cluster of violets in her braided hair, appeared at the doorway. Ying Ying smiled sweetly and dropped a curtsey by way of greeting, and Cao Cao, recognizing Sima Yi's perfectly delectable little handmaid, swept an admiring look in her direction. For all his youth, Sima Yi nevertheless seemed to be a man of impeccable tastes, be they in strategies, teas…or women.

"Your Majesty," Ying Ying began in a charming voice, "my lord Sima Yi humbly requests an audience with you."

Cao Cao inwardly delighted at being presented with this most opportune excuse for leaving Lord Xi's sickbed early. Outwardly, however, he turned to the trio of Firelight, Jiang Wei, and the boy's mother, and put on his most apologetic face.

"Do inform me if his condition changes," he murmured politely, before standing up and following Ying Ying out of the room.

Once they were at the hallway and safely out of earshot, Cao Cao demanded, "What has Zhongda discovered that's important enough to tear me away from Lord Xi's side?"

"I apologize on my lord's behalf, Your Majesty." Ying Ying curtseyed again. "All I know is that he's just received a letter which his spies have intercepted from a Shu caravan that was heading for the province of Changshan. My lord seemed rather agitated when he read its contents, and bade me come to you at once."

* * *

"That bastard Cao Cao must've been so smug in his little palace in Xuchang, thinking he's got his spy planted firmly amongst our ranks," Zhang Fei bellowed, working himself up to a blustering rage and nearly wearing a hole into the ground with his furious pacing.

"Well, let's see if my plan can wipe that smugness right off his ugly old dog face! When his henchmen discover that caravan I've sent out, there's no way he'll be able to trust any of the reports he might've received from Orchid or Lotus or Crab Apple Blossom or whatever the hell kind of flower she's named after!"

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang listened in dismay as the rash Second Tiger bawled his scheme out.

"Yide," the virtuous king of Shu finally said in a soft murmur, "what have you done?"


	31. Chapter Thirty One: Dangerous Rumors

**Chapter Thirty-One: Dangerous Rumors**

_Zhang Fei's infamous letter sets the stage for a whirlwind of action._

* * *

"…After all, the union's not truly secure without an heir…Besides, a wife's first and foremost duty is to bear her husband a healthy son…And am I to grow old and pass on without ever seeing my grandchildren? Bofu seems more interested in making a mockery of the Sun family name than in siring worthy sons and daughters, while Zhongmou can't even make up his mind about how long he should grow his beard, let alone when and with whom he's going to get married…Ah, my children, are you all purposely trying to break your poor mother's heart? And here you come home, Shang Xiang, touting Lady Gan's child as if he were your own…Daughter, what are you trying to do to your old mother…?"

Zhao Yun winced as he passed by the women's apartments of the Wu palace. Sun Shang Xiang might have made his river voyage a miserable Hell of mockery and bad jokes, but not even _she_ deserved such a cruel and unusual punishment as having to face her mother's righteous fury and listen to the woman's lectures from morning until late into the evening!

"…I know you've always been a stubborn one, dearest, but you simply can't stumble through the rest of your life shirking your womanly responsibilities like this! Your new friends in Shu haven't been putting strange ideas in your head, have they? I've always thought it mighty strange how many single and childless officers that kingdom has—for example, take that strapping young man, General Zhao Zilong: at almost twenty-five, he ought to have at least a wife and son by now; maybe even two, three, four concubines…That's it, isn't it? The Shu kingdom, with its too lenient views on family values, has been steering you in the wrong direction!"

The aforementioned "strapping young man" swallowed nervously when he heard the new direction that Lady Wu's rant had taken. Without looking too conspicuous, he increased his speed and fled past that matriarch's quarters, lest she haul him in for a lecture as well. The last thing he needed was to have his ear nagged off about how his irresponsible bachelorhood was leading the queen of Shu down a path of wifely disobedience and infertility.

Not until the Little Dragon had reached the garden that led toward his own apartments did he feel safe enough to slow down. This visit to the South Land was going even worse than he had dared to predict. Not only had his lord's heir served as a _very_ poor form of appeasement, but now it appeared that Zhao Yun had somehow brought the wrath of the ever-plucky Lady Wu upon his own head.

And then, there was the situation concerning a certain handmaid…a handmaid whose eyes—or lips, for that matter—he hadn't been able to meet for the past few weeks…a handmaid whom he was supposed to be avoiding, for fear of any awkward blunders or slip-ups on his own part…

"General Zhao!"

…A handmaid whom the Heavens seemed to delight in torturing him with, by always placing her somewhere nearby to tease him.

Zhao Yun willed his cheeks not to flame up, taking a deep breath and working his features into their most nonchalant, natural expression. Meanwhile, Xi Tian was already approaching him from the pavilion where she'd been half-heartedly practicing her calligraphy on discarded handkerchiefs. A merry dimple dotted each side of her mouth, as she called out her greeting again: "There you are, General! I was wondering where you'd snuck off to after dinner; don't tell me you're trying to avoid me on purpose?"

She was by his side now, her slender brush still clutched in her hands. It would have been rude not to look at her, so Zhao Yun steeled himself and reluctantly turned around. He almost stumbled backwards when he noticed that her smiling lips somehow appeared redder in the dusky glow of twilight…or was that just his imagination running wild again?

"You're…ah…Are you wearing rouge?" he asked clumsily. Damn it, why must his suddenly lascivious mind focus so much on her lips these days!

Xi Tian's eyes widened slightly in confusion, while she started to explain, "Yes, well, the younger Lady Qiao insisted on sharing her rose petal _yan zhi(1)_ with me..."

Merriment soon overtook her initial surprise, and she proceeded to kid, "Really, General, a big and manly warrior such as yourself shouldn't be going around picking out details about young girls' lips!"

Never before had Zhao Yun been so grateful for the presence of rain. Yet, it seemed as if out of all the Heavenly deities that were taking such delight in tormenting him with Xi Tian, at least the old Dragon King_(2)_ was kind enough to take pity. At that moment, the skies rumbled once, before letting loose with an unexpected autumn shower.

Xi Tian gave a shriek of surprise, her hands flying up to shield her head and hair, her mischievous jokes about _yan zhi_ forgotten in her distress. Despite himself, Zhao Yun had to laugh at her rather silly pose, until her indignant look prompted him to swallow back any remaining chuckles.

"Come on," he instructed, grabbing hold of her arm and taking off in the direction of the little pavilion where she'd been practicing calligraphy by lantern light.

Once inside, he loosened the decorative tiger skin from around his torso and solicitously draped it over her shoulders.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lowering his face concernedly toward her soaked forehead and features.

Xi Tian's response was to sneeze into his chin.

Somehow, those same red lips that had been tantalizing him for the past couple of weeks now lost a bit of their allure.

* * *

The minute that Cao Cao stepped into his study, he knew that something had to be wrong. It wasn't terribly hard to deduce, given the stricken look on Sima Yi's pale, handsome face. Try as he might, the chief strategist of Wei could not completely mask his frantic shock. His was the look of a duelist who, in the first moments of having been dealt a sudden crippling blow, is only just beginning to feel the searing licks of pain about to rip apart his body.

"Zhongda, I'm going to give you ten seconds to compose yourself and tell me what is going on," Cao Cao spoke up, at once civil and stern.

In response, Sima Yi motioned with one arm at Ying Ying. The obedient handmaid nodded understandingly, before dropping one last curtsey and sashaying out of the room, softly closing the door after herself. Only then did Sima Yi act, slowly taking a rolled-up letter from his sleeve and presenting it to his lord with a slight bow.

Cao Cao impatiently shook out the letter, taking note of the bold black characters crowding its surface as he sank down onto the nearest chair and began to read. With each line, his lips drew thinner, until his features had grown taut with displeasure by the time he reached the end. He abruptly crumpled the brittle parchment between his fingers and sighed in disgust, reaching for a nearby cup of tea out of habit.

"How did you come across this?" Cao Cao demanded in a low, unflinching voice over the brim of his china cup. Though his hooded eyes appeared to be watching the steaming tea as he blew over it, he made no effort to hide the fact that his true attention was on the infinitesimal pieces of evidence which had fluttered from his fist and were now drifting toward a furnace in the corner.

By then, Sima Yi appeared to have regained enough of his composure, as he replied in his steadiest voice, "My spies noticed an ostentatious caravan heading from Jingzhou to Changshan. Its leader was no more than an inexperienced junior officer, and my men had no trouble getting this letter off of him before the procession had even entered its destined province."

Cao Cao listened in contemplative silence, his only reaction a heavy sigh at the conclusion of the rather brief tale. Finally, he stood up and drew himself to his full height. With slow, thoughtful steps, he began heading toward the doors, at the same time deciding out loud, "Changshan, you say? It appears I'll have to send out my own spies to further investigate this new development."

He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur, as he next instructed his strategist, "In the meantime, Zhongda, I'll trust you to make sure that not a word of this is to reach the ears of our honored guest here at Xuchang."

"I understand and will obey, my lord," Sima Yi bowed low.

Satisfied with this response, Cao Cao opened the doors and strode briskly out of the room.

* * *

_1. A type of rouge worn on the lips_

_2. In Chinese mythology, the Dragon King ruled over the seas and controlled all rainfall._


	32. Chapter Thirty Two: Of Handkerchiefs and...

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Of Handkerchiefs and Green Ribbons**

_Simple pieces of silk stir up more trouble than they normally have the right to do._

* * *

"Ah…ah…AH-CHOO!"

Zhao Yun blinked, before one arm reflexively went up to wipe at his offended chin and jaw.

"Oh, by the Heavens…I'm so sorry," Xi Tian immediately apologized in a chagrined tone. "Please don't be angry with me, I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry…" She hastily snatched up a fistful of the old, calligraphy-covered handkerchiefs lying around, and wiped her nose with the bunch of crumpled-up linen.

Zhao Yun tried to look annoyed with her, but soon found himself unable to keep up the expression when he saw that she had unwittingly smudged some of the not-yet-dry ink across her face.

"What? What are you laughing at?" Xi Tian sniffed suspiciously, placing both hands on her hips—a gesture which only made her look all the more ridiculous.

"Only this," Zhao Yun replied, softly brushing his fingers against her lips.

Xi Tian's eyebrows flew up in surprise, but before she could misinterpret his actions—and announce her misinterpretation to everybody in the Wu palace as well—Zhao Yun quickly turned his hand over to show her the black smudges now smeared across his skin.

"Oh." Xi Tian pinkened, moaning in a fit of embarrassed realization, "Oh, no! Does it look too terrible? I haven't painted a mustache on myself, have I?"

Zhao Yun chuckled in amusement as he watched her frantically scrub at her nose and mouth, her sleeves a pink blur of motion.

"Let me help you," he offered gallantly, when he caught the miffed pouts she was throwing in his direction, and reached into his shirt to draw out a clean handkerchief.

A peep of rosy silk accidentally slipped out, along with his own plain white linen square. Before Zhao Yun had realized his mistake, Xi Tian's eyes had already zoomed in on the brief flash of color, and she cried out, "Hey, what's that?"

Zhao Yun hurriedly stuffed the rose slip back into the folds of his clothing, backing away from Xi Tian's inquisitive look and coughing unconvincingly, "It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Xi Tian lifted one unbelieving eyebrow.

"It's something, and I know it!" she insisted gleefully. "Was it…was it my old handkerchief? It _looked_ like my handkerchief…the one I gave you on the Chang Jiang…"

She reached out with both hands in an attempt to retrieve the evidence, but Zhao Yun easily maneuvered out of her grasp.

"No fair! I know you have something hidden there, let me see!" Xi Tian huffed with mock anger, running in circles around Zhao Yun as he continued to sidestep her efforts at cornering him.

She finally managed to catch a hold of his shirt, and began ruffling the gold-embroidered material in order to shake loose whatever he might be hiding.

"Orchid, what are you doing?" Zhao Yun blushed, taking both of her hands in his own and folding them at chest-level to stop her in mid-tug.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me…" Xi Tian's voice trailed off.

In an abrupt motion, she grabbed at a corner of the pink cloth. One reckless yank later, the handkerchief was out…along with a good section of Zhao Yun's unsuspecting shirt, as it ripped wide open in the wake of the handmaid's careless jerk.

"Orchid!" a shocked Zhao Yun gasped, just as Xi Tian started to gloat, "I _knew_ it! It _is_ my old handkerchief!"

It took her an additional couple of seconds to notice what _else_ had come off along with her troublemaking handkerchief. When she did, she literally squeaked with mortification, before hiding almost her entire face behind her repossessed square of silk.

"I, ah…I didn't mean to," she apologized with a nervous titter.

Zhao Yun's first reaction was to stand in dumbfounded silence, prompting Xi Tian to dare a hesitant peek over one corner of her handkerchief. She promptly crimsoned at the still-exposed strip of chest and abdomen that greeted her eyes, and resumed hiding her face.

A few seconds passed during which neither of the pair was able to muster a word, until Zhao Yun finally cleared his throat and spoke up, "It's all right, Orchid."

He fumbled about, trying to close the gash in his shirt to the best of his abilities. Xi Tian, however, refused to take any more risks, her handkerchief remaining protectively over her face.

"I'm very, very, _very_ sorry. Let me go to your apartment and bring you back a new shirt immediately, General Zhao," she insisted, her voice a little muffled as she hid behind her shield of embroidered silk.

She turned around, presumably to set off on her task, only to bump blindly into Zhao Yun.

"Oops." Xi Tian changed directions, but this time collided instead into one of the pillars holding up the small pavilion. A third shift only led her back to bouncing into Zhao Yun.

"Orchid, you silly girl," Zhao Yun laughed affectionately, keeping one hand still clenched around the ripped corners of his shirt as his free hand reached up to remove the handkerchief from Xi Tian's scarlet face.

"Open your eyes," he prodded gently.

One golden eye timidly winked open, followed in due time by its companion when its owner felt reassured that there was no more menacing sight of scandalously exposed skin.

"General Zhao…you, ah…" Unsure of how to delicately put her observation into words, Xi Tian settled for taking her handkerchief and folding it over the bit of still-visible chest that Zhao Yun had failed to cover up. Her hand accidentally grazed the skin of his collarbone, and the brief contact caused both to recoil slightly.

Finally, in an effort to break the bashful silence that followed, Zhao Yun asked in a teasing tone, "Does this mean you're giving your precious handkerchief back to me?"

Xi Tian impertinently wrinkled her nose at him, sassing back, "Just don't ruin it by blowing your nose too much, General!"

She then giggled and ducked out of his half-hearted swipe, bargaining at the same time, "And I get your pretty green hair ribbon in return."

Zhao Yun's face was a mask of confusion.

"My _hair ribbon…?"_ he started to echo, but before he could finish his sentence, Xi Tian had already reached up and begun untying the strip of green brocade keeping his dark bangs at bay.

"It'll look better on me, anyway," the handmaid declared playfully, her fingers weaving in and out of his still-damp hair as she loosened the ribbon from around his forehead.

Zhao Yun surprised her by grasping her hands with his own and helping her in her task, answering her uncertain look with a casual drawl: "Don't look so startled, Orchid. I agree it's a fair exchange—a ribbon for a handkerchief."

Xi Tian smiled and briefly looked away, as the green ribbon finally came loose. She whipped it out of his bangs with a flourish, before pulling her own hair back into a ponytail and using her newly-won brocade to secure it in place.

"Well, General? How do I look?" she asked laughingly, twirling around as if to show off the full effects of her change in style.

"Pretty," Zhao Yun admitted with an obliging smile.

Xi Tian frowned.

"Just pretty?" She pretended to sulk. "Hn, any ordinary handmaid can look 'pretty,' like you've so eloquently said!"

Zhao Yun laughed.

"Don't pout, Orchid. What do you want me to say, then?" he asked lightly.

Xi Tian put a finger to her lips to feign deep consideration, but before she could come up with a reply, one of Zhao Yun's infantrymen came tearing in from the direction of his lord's apartments.

"General Zhao! General Zhao!" the little footsoldier exclaimed breathlessly, his hair matted to his forehead thanks to the autumn rain that was only now beginning to ebb.

Zhao Yun hastily drew away from his handmaid.

"What's the matter?" he asked, discreetly tucking Xi Tian's handkerchief back into the folds of his clothing while his subordinate struggled to catch his breath.

"General Zhao, a lady has just arrived and is currently demanding an interview with you," the young soldier panted out.

"Oh?" Zhao Yun looked confused. A _lady…?_

"She also said that I make sure to tell you that her name is Lady Dowager Sun," the soldier added helpfully.

"Oh!" Zhao Yun's heart sank.

Lady Dowager Sun, along with her circle of fellow matriarchs, considered themselves to be the pillars of Changshan's genteel society. It was only until Zhao Yun had earned his first drops of fame on the battlefield that he'd begun to feel the extent of these women's power. Dowager Sun and the rest had instantly seen him as Changshan's greatest hero—and thus, a man whose every action and decision must be perfectly fitting of such a title. But he'd been keeping a fairly low profile lately, so what could have stirred the fearsome lady dowager to pack up and rumble over to Wu in order to see him in person…?

Zhao Yun received his answer sooner than he would have liked.

He barely had time to take a step out of the pavilion to receive his guest, when he spotted a stout, over-dressed figure already making its way toward him. Dowager Sun, followed by a consternated handmaid carrying an umbrella over both their heads, plowed indignantly through the garden and barreled toward the hapless Tiger General awaiting her ire.

"Yun Er!" she hollered, in such a manner as to suggest that Zhao Yun had just done all of Changshan an unforgivable wrong. "Yun Er, how could you do this?"


	33. Chapter Thirty Three: Entrance of the La

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Entrance of the Lady Dowagers**

_Autumn showers transform into verbal thunderstorms, with the arrival of old hometown acquaintances._

* * *

"Yun Er!" Dowager Sun hollered in a burst of righteous anger, her accusing hands jabbing in a flurry of motion while she continued to chastise, "Yun Er, how could you do such a foolish thing? How could you disgrace all of Changshan like this!"

The stout matron plowed determinedly across the garden as she spoke, pushing her distressed, umbrella-wielding handmaid into a sprint in order to keep up with such a force of nature. Zhao Yun watched their progress with wary eyes, instinctively stepping before Xi Tian in a protective gesture, as if hoping to defend her from the old lady's wrath.

And Dowager Sun certainly _did_ look to be in a wrathful mood as she charged into the pavilion, which suddenly felt too small to contain her mighty presence. Her bosom was literally heaving with a mixture of indignation and wounded pride, as she wailed into Zhao Yun's face, "Yun Er, how could you be so thoughtless? So irresponsible? So _rash?"_

As if to emphasize her words, a peal of thunder suddenly sounded at that moment, and the autumn shower, which had begun to wane, now picked up again with renewed vigor. Dowager Sun's handmaid darted an uneasy look at the angry black sky, and began to suggest timidly, _"Lao Tai Tai(1),_ perhaps we should go inside…"

"Hush, Que Er," Dowager Sun ordered irritably, afterwards soliloquizing to nobody in particular, _"Aiya,_ young people today can be so impetuous sometimes! What is this new generation coming to?"

How was Zhao Yun supposed to respond to such an indictment, and still remain civil of speech? As he shuffled his feet in awkward silence and tried to think of a proper answer, Que Er, looking somewhat embarrassed by her mistress's bold accusation, spoke up again.

_"Lao Tai Tai,_ it's getting too chilly and damp out here; you'll surely catch a cold…" she began in an effort to distract the old lady.

"I said hush, child," Dowager Sun snapped, then refocused her attention on the hapless warrior standing before her.

"Now, I know you boys are all cocksure and hot of blood, but Yun Er, how could you go ahead and do such a bold and utterly disastrous thing?" she demanded accusingly, her still-sharp eyes zooming in on the slender figure in pink whom Zhao Yun was trying to shield from view. "Is that her, Yun Er? _Aiya,_ how could you! She's a pretty little chit, but nothing to lose your head over and throw your reputation away for!"

"Ah…" Zhao Yun didn't know what to feel more chagrined over—the fact that Dowager Sun was about to descend on Xi Tian like a mother hen on an unsuspecting caterpillar…or the fact that she had just repeatedly called him "Yun Er" in front of the aforementioned Xi Tian.

Fortunately for him, a second aria of thunderclaps interrupted before he would be required to oblige with a satisfactory explanation. The handmaid Que Er, bless her sweet little heart, took this opportunity to once again entreat her mistress to retire into the house.

_"Lao Tai Tai,_ please," she begged plaintively. "Let's go inside; you'll catch a cold out here in this frightful weather."

"She's right, Lady Dowager," Zhao Yun agreed hastily. "I couldn't bear the responsibility of knowing I'm the sole cause for keeping you outside in such a thunderstorm."

Without giving the old lady a chance to protest, he quickly grabbed Xi Tian's hand and whisked her out of the pavilion. The pair took a shortcut toward Zhao Yun's apartments, and Dowager Sun had no choice but to follow them, grumbling and muttering under her breath the entire way.

The group had almost arrived at its destination, when a Shu soldier came flying out of the gates to warn his superior of something.

"General Zhao! General Zhao!" It was the most pitiful cry in the world, and Zhao Yun knew with a sinking heart that the evening had just taken an inevitable turn for the worse.

"Is something wrong?" he asked in his calmest voice, as behind him, Dowager Sun crossed her arms and huffed.

"I'm so sorry, General! I…I tried to stop them, but there were too many…And you always said how we should never raise our hands against women…" the little infantryman whimpered helplessly.

Zhao Yun pushed past his subordinate and marched bravely inside, with Xi Tian and Dowager Sun in tow. It was a move he would find himself regretting mere seconds later, when he saw, to his abject horror, the horde of Changshan matriarchs crowding about his quarters.

As if on cue, they all looked up the minute he stepped into the room. A wave of brightly-embroidered silks and heady perfumes promptly descended upon him, as the ladies chorused in one voice, "Yun Er!"

* * *

Sima Yi paced restlessly around one of the Wei palace's innumerable pleasure gardens, his black fan a small typhoon of nonstop motion. His planning had been so careful, so painstaking; how could one small letter so thoroughly endanger the success of all his hard work? It couldn't be a simple coincidence that Liu Bei had entrusted such a seemingly innocent letter to so inexperienced an officer, or that the messenger caravan to Changshan would be so conveniently decorated with such eye-catching, gold-fringed brocade—no, that must have all been part of some greater ploy…

So, the great and all-knowing Zhuge Liang had somehow caught on to Wei's scheme!

Before Sima Yi could continue, the soft sounds of weeping broke into his inner monologue. The youthful strategist glanced around, and had no trouble discerning a petite shape crouching beneath a tiny carved mountain. A closer look identified her as one of the palace handmaids…and what a pretty little thing she was!

_"Gu Niang,_ why are you crying?" Sima Yi stepped closer and asked, a bit curious despite himself.

Such a lovely creature must be a favorite of at least two or three of the Wei generals; surely a handmaid with such a high position could find little to be distressed over?

The crying girl looked up in surprise, abashedly wiping away some lingering tears from her cheeks.

"Oh!" Her red-rimmed eyes widened in recognition, and she must have felt safe and sure of her charms upon identifying Sima Yi as another young bachelor to be won over, for she proceeded to put on her most vulnerable face and sob forlornly, "Ying Ying _Jie Jie(2)_ just slapped me for no reason!"

Sima Yi lifted a puzzled eyebrow. _Ying Ying?_ His own sunshine-tempered Ying Ying?

"Surely there must have been a reason," he said neutrally, but the girl beneath the stone mountain indignantly shook her head.

"No, no reason at all," she insisted with a sad sniffle. "I only said something, and then Ying Ying _Jie Jie_ called me an idiot and slapped me!"

Sima Yi still looked unconvinced that his favorite little goddess in yellow silk should strike a fellow handmaid, unprovoked.

"What did you say?" he asked cautiously.

"All I did was mention a rumor I'd overheard about the Shu general Zhao Zilong getting—"

The dainty little handmaid never finished her sentence: Sima Yi furiously backhanded her into silence before she could repeat any dangerous rumors.

"Ying Ying should have cut off your lips, you stupid bitch!" he hissed, as the shocked girl clutched at her swollen red cheek and cried in frightened silence into her handkerchief.

This elicited little remorse from her attacker, as Sima Yi only glared down unsympathetically at her pitiful form.

"You will _not_ spread any more stories concerning enemy officers! Do I make myself clear?" he ordered in a harsh, forceful whisper.

The terrified handmaid failed to respond, her body wracked with shuddering sobs which she no longer attempted to muffle behind her handkerchief. Sima Yi shot a disdainful look in her direction, before yanking her up by the ear and coldly snarling through clenched teeth, "Stop howling and listen to me. _Never_ repeat what you might have heard about General Zhao, or by the Heavens above, I swear I'll personally rip your tongue out of your mouth and sell you for a field slave to the coarsest farmer I can find! Do you understand?"

The poor girl could only gulp in some air and nod wordlessly, after which Sima Yi flung her aside and let her snivel in peace.

_All this trouble over one letter! _he thought with disgust, as he strode just far enough away so as to not incriminate himself with any traces of the weeping maid's voice or presence.

* * *

Liu Bei wearily handed a folded message to Guan Ping, which the young warrior took care to store in a small leather pouch secured to his waist.

"Ride as fast as you can, and don't stop until you've reached the Chang Jiang," the king of Shu instructed.

_"Ai."_

"By the time you arrive there, a boat should be waiting for you."

_"Ai."_

"Once you're at Wu, seek out General Zhao immediately, and hand him this letter. Tell him not to worry too much over what's happening, and above all, make sure he remains where he is until we've sorted things out."

"Understood." And with that, Guan Ping took off, trotting toward the stable where his father's famed Red Hare was already saddled and awaiting its new rider.

* * *

_1. Elderly Madam (elderly here is used as a title of respect, to signify veneration and wisdom in old age)_

_2. Elder sister. In China, it's not uncommon for a girl to call another female with greater seniority, either in age or in social position, elder sister._


	34. Chapter Thirty Four: Zilong and the Matr

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Zilong and the Matriarchs**

_…Or what not to do when confronted with the leading ladies of Changshan_

* * *

The pale, translucent light of an unexpected full moon cast the entire landscape in her surreal glow, painting the world in magical shades of silver and soft white. Amongst the wan scenery, seated on a cold stone bench beneath an awning of fluttering bamboo leaves, was what appeared to be one of the Moon's subjects—a gray spirit from the cool domain she nightly ruled over.

It was only upon closer observation that one could distinguish this ghostly form as not a wandering soul, but rather, a flesh-and-blood man: Lord Xi, so emaciated by his fight against consumption, that he seemed a mere shadow of his former self.

Currently, he was sitting outside in the chilly night air, against the explicit orders of his doctor and the wishes of his handmaids. Tonight, the Lady Moon was so radiantly sublime, resembling a shining pearl in the inky velvet sky, that Lord Xi was inevitably reminded of his own august Lady Song. Nothing was going to stop him from going outside to enjoy the beauty of the Heavens, and his handmaids could see that it would be useless to try dissuading him from this foolish and downright dangerous impulse.

After wrapping her master in an excess of thick, fur-lined robes and warm blankets, Yinchun left Firelight in charge and took off to seek young General Boyue. Perhaps Lord Xi's future son-in-law might be able to convince him to go back inside and resume nursing his illness in the warmth of his bedside furnace.

Yet for all that he doted on the boy, Lord Xi was absolutely adamant tonight: He had never before seen such a lovely moon that reminded him so much of his late wife, and he was not about to settle for admiring it from within the confines of his sickbed.

In the end, Jiang Wei found that his rational arguments only fell on a pair of stubbornly deaf ears. With no other viable option, the youthful warrior took off his own green cloak and draped it over the consumptive aristocrat's frail shoulders, before taking a seat beside the old man. If he could do nothing else, at least he could try to be there when his future father-in-law started showing signs of weakness or discomfort.

Yet, at present, Lord Xi appeared little affected by his terminal illness. The magical glow of the full moon, and the tender memories of Lady Song that it brought back, seemed to have a healing effect on his spirit, and his mien, pallid though it was, nevertheless wore a look of content serenity.

"Beautiful, is she not?" he asked his daughter's fiancé. "I believe I can almost see the goddess Chang'e gliding across her surface."

Jiang Wei looked up at the pearly satellite, and saw nothing.

"She is quite lovely," he lied politely, checking the angle of the shadow that his Blink trident made with the soft ground. It was getting quite late, and an old man—much less an old, sickly man—should not be sitting outside, in the freezing night air, for much longer…

"Rather cold out here, isn't it?" A new male voice jerked Jiang Wei out of his haze of anxious thoughts.

The boy glanced up, and quickly identified the form of his king, silhouetted regally against the moonlight.

"My lord." He dropped a perfect bow.

Cao Cao shot his young general a mildly reproving look.

"I'm disappointed with you, Boyue. You should have known better than to drag Lord Xi out of his sickbed on such a frigid night as this," he said pointedly.

Jiang Wei looked a bit flustered, beginning to apologize, "I'm sorry, my lord, but Xi _Da Ren_ insisted on coming outside…"

"The full moon's splendor reminded me of my beauteous wife, Lady Song," Lord Xi explained absently.

"I understand." Cao Cao's voice instantly dropped into a respectful murmur.

Privately, however, he was less than pleased by the situation. The sentimental old fool would only aggravate his illness by sitting outside in the cold, and should he untimely pass away because of this rash action, Wei could not afford the political blow that his death might deal.

"It certainly is a beautiful night; one must wonder if this is Chang'e's magic," Cao Cao deferred out loud.

Inwardly, he busied himself with calculating how far his cousin might currently be from the Wu kingdom.

* * *

Misty river. White-crested waves. Cool night breeze, glints of moonlight, stars that shone like a thousand tiny fires in the Heavens…and the malodorous stench of dying fish?

Xiahou Dun glared at his surroundings in disgust, both hands wrapped firmly around the hilt of his magnificent Kirin Fang, almost as if in an unconscious effort to clutch at the last remnants of his dignity. His latest departure from Xuchang had been his most hasty one to date, and in the rush, the Wei government had been unable to arrange for the proper methods of transportation.

Which was how the dashing general found himself hitching a ride across the Chang Jiang…on a leaky, puttering fishing boat! Xiahou Dun, the most feared warrior of the North, surrounded on all sides by smelly scalies while on a daring quest to retrieve a young bride. And not even his own bride—Jiang Wei's bubbly, frivolous bride! He silently cursed Sima Yi for the latter's brilliant plan of marrying the two brats to win Jingzhou's favor, before the sound of pattering feet raised the alarm that he now had bigger problems to worry about.

One big problem, to be exact, in the form of the fisherman's love-struck, surprisingly bold daughter. Xiahou Dun had seen more than his share of women in his years with Wei—from elegant court ladies to humble village girls, from painted courtesans to virginal Taoist nuns, from jealous little concubines to Cao Cao's own daughter (and may the Heavens help the unfortunate man who married that dusky-voiced vamp!) Never before, however, had he encountered such a creature as the one now bounding eagerly toward him.

The fisherman's daughter was a skinny, toothy girl of about eighteen, whom everybody called San Jie_(1)_ (Xiahou Dun shuddered to think that there were at least two more of her kind running around somewhere!) She was extraordinarily dark-skinned, thanks to a lifetime spent accompanying her father and brothers on their boat, and her clothes were only slightly more fashionable than a burlap bag.

Yet, for all these faults, the girl still had her own peculiar charm…if only she weren't so fascinated by older men with eye patches and giant swords! Xiahou Dun didn't bother to consider whether the part with the sword might be a metaphor for something else; he was too preoccupied with trying to control his temper and refrain from bodily throwing the silly wench overboard.

"Hello, General Xiaohou_(2),"_ San Jie chirped brightly, earning herself a grunt and a scowl from the object of her affections. Making inappropriate comments about his weapon was bad enough—did she also have to mispronounce his name and call him the Little Monkey General?

Unfazed by Xiahou Dun's less-than-enthused response, San Jie pranced beside him and, flashing her best smile, made her umpteenth offer to polish his sword for him. Xiahou Dun's eyebrows nearly flew off his hairline when he heard her bawdy language. Was this the way that common peasant girls spoke? He was annoyed with San Jie for her vulgarity, and annoyed with himself for being caught off-guard by her forwardness.

"No!" he refused for the umpteenth time, prudently crossing his legs upon catching her wandering eyes.

"But it looks like it's getting rusty," she pouted, reaching a hand forward as if to grab "it."

Xiahou Dun scrambled to get out of the way of her equally wandering hands.

"My wife can worry about that," he lied with a straight face.

San Jie didn't miss a beat.

"Yes, but the role of the wife is merely to look presentable and keep her household in order," she recited, as if from memory. "Taking care of the lord's needs is up to his concubines and mistresses." And with that bold insinuation, she leapt up to resume her chase of the one-eyed warrior.

Xiahou Dun grabbed his blade and stormed out in disgust, almost slipping on a pool of discarded fish guts along the way. He let out an angry curse that reverberated across the Chang Jiang, and included in his oath Sima Yi's plan, Jingzhou, the Shu kingdom, Zhang Fei's letter, Jiang Wei and Xi Tian's upcoming nuptials, and all the fishermen's daughters in China.

* * *

In Wu, a lovely rose-feathered thrush nightingale made its preparations to begin its evening concert. The graceful little songbird barely managed to let out two liquid notes, however, when it was interrupted by a loud chorus—this one human—of a dozen female voices acrimoniously raised in lament.

"Yun Er, what a handsome young man you've become!"

"Yun Er, you fool! You have such an illustrious reputation; why throw it all away now?"

"Sit down, Yun Er—you've grown so tall, I can't even see your face!"

"Yun Er!"

"Yun Er!"

"Yun Er!"

Zhao Yun goggled in dumbfounded silence, as the mob of indignant women continued to swell and push toward him.

"Ouyang, what is the meaning of this?" he asked, shooting a sideways glance at the soldier who'd run out of the gates to warn him of the ladies' presence.

"What is the meaning of _this?"_ Dowager Sun echoed peevishly, before the timid Ouyang could respond.

She elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, bellowing out, "I believe _you're_ the one who should be explaining the meaning of _your_ actions, Yun Er!"

"Me?" Zhao Yun's eyes widened in confusion.

At his stunned reaction, one of the ladies detached herself from the group and took on the burden of conveying all of Changshan's distress. Zhao Yun vaguely recognized her as the matriarch of the Cui family, before the sedately-dressed woman began to speak.

"Yun Er, we're not trying to be difficult here," Madam Cui began in her trademark silvery whisper. "We merely want to hear your reasons."

_And they'd better be damn good ones,_ the silent threat seemed to linger in the air after she'd finished speaking.

If there ever was a time when Zhao Yun felt he would never comprehend the ways of Woman, now seemed to be a fairly good candidate.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," he apologized helplessly, even though he had no idea what it was he was apologizing for. "My reasons for doing what?"

The Changshan matrons looked at him as if he were crazy—a look that was unconsciously reflected back at them, before Zhao Yun remembered his manners and hastily wiped his eyes blank. Finally, Dowager Sun (of course, who else but that fire-breathing woman?) had the kindness to bawl out the Earth-shattering event that had made these worthy ladies storm the Wu palace.

"Don't pretend to be stupid, Yun Er," she snapped. "Just tells us your reasons for suddenly deciding to marry that little handmaid of yours!"

* * *

_1. Third Sister. It was not uncommon in China for children to be named according to the order in which they were born._

_2. 'Xiao' means 'little,' while 'hou' means 'monkey.'_


	35. Chapter Thirty Five: Xi Tians Confession

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Xi Tian's Confession**

_No longer able to hide behind the guise of an innocent handmaid, a girl finally admits to her true name and motives._

* * *

"_Jia!"_

Guan Ping hastily urged Red Hare on, even though his powerful mount hardly needed any prodding. The famous thousand-_li_ stallion easily cut across the vast landscape of Southeast China, its hooves pounding against the ground like thunder, its sleek body moving at such a magnificent speed that from afar it looked no different from a blur of moving fire.

Atop the flame-coated charger, its youthful rider leaned forward in an effort to increase their speed, so that he was virtually half-standing on the saddle.

"Good boy." Guan Ping patted the sturdy neck of his father's steed, as they continued their race toward Jianye.

Soon enough, the faraway sounds of smashing waves drifted across the air. It wasn't long before horseman and horse both glimpsed their first sight of the Chang Jiang, stretching into the horizon like a never-ending green snake. Off in the distance, a tiny speck docked at the harbor bobbed whimsically in the frothy waters.

"_Jia!"_ Guan Ping furiously shook the reins, and, with a tremendous burst of speed, Red Hare shot forward and leapt through the air in a graceful scarlet arc.

The captain of Shu's swiftest sloop, waiting patiently at port, barely had any time to glance up in surprise, before a massive thump shook his entire vessel from helm to stern. Red Hare seemed to suddenly materialize out of thin air, as Guan Ping expertly leapt off the saddle before his horse had completed its landing.

"Hurry," he urged the green-uniformed captain. "I must deliver this letter to General Zhao in Wu at once!"

* * *

_He was marrying Orchid!_

"…for rushing so hastily into marriage with that…that _maid,"_ Madam Cui's voice floated vaguely into Zhao Yun's ears, as the worthy matron sniffed delicately before turning her nose up in Xi Tian's direction.

Zhao Yun blinked twice, before forcing his mind back to the situation at hand. He was still standing in the middle of his guest apartment at the Wu palace. The dowagers from Changshan, nightmarishly enough, were still crowded before him. His soldier, Ouyang, was still trying to shrink inconspicuously into the shadows, looking as embarrassed as ever…

"That's right," another matriarch, the forever-nagging Madam Xue, took up where Madam Cui had left off. "And why did you not even write to us that you were planning to wed? Any one of us could have easily saved you from that matrimonial mess you've gotten yourself into! A warrior marrying a serving girl—hn! The very idea! Hn! I've never heard of such a preposterous notion!"

By now, Zhao Yun's face was a battleground between embarrassment and confusion. The third Tiger General shot a look at Xi Tian—his so-called fiancée—but his equally crimson handmaid looked even more upset than he. If he were to confront the ladies' wrath, then he would have to do so alone; it was obvious his alleged bride-to-be wasn't going to be of any help.

Zhao Yun bravely stepped forward, and coughed out, "I…I don't quite understand what you're talking about. Who wrote to Changshan announcing that I'm planning to, ah, marry Orchid?"

_"Wrote_ to us!" Dowager Sun bawled vociferously. "You practically sent an entire parade to Changshan, announcing your engagement to the little vixen as if it were something to be proud of!"

"I did?" Zhao Yun repeated in disbelief.

"With Shu's blessings, it seems!" the miffed Madam Cui bemoaned. "Why, that officer in charge practically proclaimed to all of China that his general, the great Second Tiger of Shu, Zhang Yide, had sent him to personally tell the citizens of Changshan this 'felicitous' news of your engagement—since you were too busy to deliver them yourself. _Aiya,_ and now we find out that the reason you were so busy is because you're here, cavorting around with your little handmaid…"

Dowager Sun once again pushed her way to the forefront of the group.

"Yun Er, why didn't you ever indicate that you were looking for a bride?" she practically yodeled out. "You could've had your choice of any of Changshan's finest young ladies, instead of having to settle for some lowly servant girl!"

"I—" Before Zhao Yun could protest, the fearsome old matron had stepped back and called out, "Ruan Er!"

A few moments of expectant silence followed her command, before a delicate figure in peach brocade appeared behind the doorway. At her mother's beckon, Sun Ruan Er_(1),_ flanked on either side by a handmaid, entered at a demure pace and dipped down in a graceful curtsey before the mutely blushing Zhao Yun.

"Yun Er, you remember my daughter, Miss Sun Ruan Er, don't you?" Dowager Sun prodded.

When a bewildered Zhao Yun failed to reply, the stout old lady clucked her tongue and shifted the responsibility onto her own shoulders.

"Of course he does!" She turned to the crowd behind her and boasted proudly, "They were practically childhood sweethearts; the Heavens meant for them to be together! They even gave each other nicknames—she was his Ruan _Gu Niang(2)!_ If that's not an indication of a devoted heart, then I don't know what is!"

Her assertion hardly seemed to sit well with the other ladies, however, as they all massed together and marched forward, as if to edge Sun Ruan Er out of the picture.

"Lady Dowager, with all due respect, what makes you think _your_ daughter is good enough for our brave and mighty young dragon?" Madam Cui demanded haughtily.

Before the fire-breathing Dowager Sun could bluster out a comeback, the head of the formidable House of Cui had already summoned her own daughter forward.

"Yun Er, my own little girl, Feng Li, is now sixteen years of age, and has had her heart set on marrying a great hero ever since she was a child," she began bluntly, propelling forward a dainty, sylph-like beauty.

"Don't fall for her trap, Yun Er! I have never seen a clumsier, more empty-headed girl than that Feng Li!" Madam Xue cut in, shooting a dirty look in the Cui females' direction. "Rather, would you not prefer _my_ daughter, Bai Yu? She is fair, virtuous, and sings as exquisitely as a nightingale—"

"Yun Er, my daughter, Mei Qin, is so lovely that she has all the men of Changshan fighting for her hand, and I can only rest knowing that she has a splendid warrior such as yourself to protect her—"

"_Lovely?_ Hah! Your Mei Qin is merely a piece of duckweed, while _my_ girl, Si Chun, is a graceful lotus—"

A cacophony of voices erupted, as grand dames jostled with each other, pushed their precious daughters forward, and generally bombarded the thunderstruck Zhao Yun with avowals that fortune-tellers and professional matchmakers had all deemed these beautiful maidens as suitable wives for him. Girls were everywhere—girls with porcelain skin and flowers in their hair, with sizeable dowries and impeccable pedigrees, with dewy-eyed blushes and some of the most overzealous mothers to be found in China.

Zhao Yun warily sidestepped the Misses Xue and Cui, when he suddenly noticed that someone was missing from this congregation of women. And not just any person—his own supposed fiancée was nowhere to be found.

"Orchid?" he called out, invoking a round of jealous huffs from daughters and mothers alike.

"Orchid!" Zhao Yun repeated, craning his neck for a better view of all the girls gathered around him when he failed to receive an answer.

His search ended at the back door of the room…a door which stood noticeably ajar. Zhao Yun's lips tightened into a grim line, as he realized that his handmaid must have slipped out sometime during the matrons' matchmaking madness. But why should she flee like this…?

Turning to Ouyang, Zhao Yun quickly instructed the young soldier to show the ladies to the guest courts. He then took off in the direction of his missing handmaid, amidst an outcry of, "Yun Er!" and, "Won't you meet my daughter so-and-so?"

* * *

Xi Tian ran blindly down the Wu palace's gardens, crushing delicate petals left and right as she sought escape from the obnoxious matriarchs…and from Zhao Yun's questions. And he _would_ have questions for her, once he inevitably found her.

How could he not?

She continued to cut across Lady Wu's treasured flowerbeds, trampling with some sorrow over the sea of peonies and roses. How had things come to this? Everything was going along perfectly fine…until Dowager Sun had barreled in with her accusations that a mere little handmaid was trying to marry the great and valiant General Zilong.

Marry Zhao Yun? _Xi Tian_ marry Zhao Yun!

She paused to regain her breath, and almost laughed out loud in disbelief. Marrying him would be the last thing her father wanted—for his one remaining daughter to be wed to an enemy warrior. Whoever had spread that scandalous rumor must have been drunk at the time…!

Xi Tian gave a soft groan of frustration, before resuming her flight. The green ribbon in her hair—the same ribbon that she'd won from Zhao Yun what seemed like a lifetime ago—fluttered over her face, obscuring her vision so that she finally tore it off and let it sail onto the ground beneath her feet.

She managed to cover a few more yards, before she was forced to stop in order to catch her breath again. Her lungs felt like they were trying to burn through her chest, and her temples throbbed with a nauseating dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her. Kneeling before a tiny brook, she took a few seconds to wait for her body to compose itself, and wryly observed her disheveled reflection in the silvery water.

When she saw the inevitable shadow of the young warrior she was trying to run away from, she felt too dull to even attempt a second escape. Her body was exhausted, her spirit even more so, and both her mind and heart were in a turmoil of confusion. Defeated, she simply continued to examine both their mirror images, only turning around when she heard him speak.

"Orchid," Zhao Yun began quietly, "what is going on?"

Xi Tian knew that he was trying to lock eyes with her, yet she desperately kept her own gaze fixed on the ground when making her reply.

"I don't know, General Zhao; I'm just as confused as you are." She heard more footsteps, and soon felt his warm hand on her skin as he spun her around and tilted her chin upwards so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes.

"Orchid." Her name became a command upon his lips, and she could not defy his soft voice.

Xi Tian looked up, and saw that he was crouching before her, one knee touching the ground between them. In his right hand rested the Fierce Dragon, while in the hand with which he'd turned her face toward him he held the single length of green silk she'd discarded a while back.

"Confused or not, you _do_ know something I don't." Though his tone was gentle, it nevertheless did not change the fact that he had just accused her of deception.

Xi Tian shamefully tried to turn away, but Zhao Yun kept his hand on her chin, kept her looking into his eyes so that she could not hide behind the safety of an anonymous lie. The green ribbon between his fingers tickled her face, as he uttered his next words.

"Madam Cui mentioned that Zhang Fei was the one who ordered the false wedding announcement to Changshan," he mused aloud. "I know General Zhang can be aggressive and impetuous, and occasionally enjoys his wine perhaps a bit too liberally—but he's no fool. He had to have a reason for spreading false news of my alleged engagement, and more importantly, he _had_ to have a reason for specifically choosing _you_ as the bride, Orchid."

Xi Tian was silent for a long time. When she finally spoke, her voice was hushed with guilt and broken with regret.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning, then…and let the General know that my name is not Orchid," she started to confess in a tremulous whisper.

Zhao Yun dropped his hand from her face.

"Who are you, then?" he asked hoarsely, as if already knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.

Xi Tian took a deep breath. In the back of her mind, she'd always known that this moment would eventually arrive, yet nothing could have prepared her for the reality now confronting her in the face.

"General Zhao," she finally prompted, "have you already forgotten the old gentleman of Chang Ban Slope, who took you into his home almost one year ago…?"

* * *

_1. In Three Kingdoms folklore, Sun Ruan Er was the name given to Zhao Yun's wife._

_2. Miss; maiden._


	36. Chapter Thirty Six: Little Xi Shi

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Little Xi Shi**

_A single confession opens a floodgate of consequences._

* * *

To the end of his days, Zhao Yun could never quite bear to fully relive that one fateful hour when he'd found himself confronting a treachery from the least likely of sources. To any unsuspecting witness who might have stumbled across the scene, it would appear as if the charming handmaid in pink, crying softly into her sash, had just had her heart broken by the dashing warrior before her.

The bitter irony of the situation didn't escape Zhao Yun. Until the truth came out, he would always be suspected of callously stomping over the pretty Orchid's feelings and driving her to tears…when in actuality, she was the one who had toyed with his heart and was now handing him back the tangled mess that had once been his blossoming love for her.

He hesitated. Perhaps he wasn't being fair to Orchid, to Xi Tian. Handmaid, spy—whatever she might be, she was still the same sweet ingénue she'd been since the first time he'd bumped into her and subsequently sent her screaming off into a wall. The wars, the politics, the constant scheming and plotting of their chaotic era had left Xi Tian surprisingly untouched; from the time she'd been recruited by Cao Cao to this moment, she'd managed to remain an innocent. And besides, it wasn't as if she were double-crossing Shu of her own free will. Her father was essentially a hostage behind the imposing walls of Xuchang, and…

Zhao Yun caught himself in time. This wasn't right. Here he was, poised before a weeping girl, condemning her one moment and condoning her the next. He didn't know what would happen to her, although logic dictated that her future would be pretty grim. But before he could let anything happen to his angel-faced little maid, he had to sort out his feelings toward her.

"Orchid," he began out of habit, then briefly shook his head and corrected himself: "I'm sorry. May I call you Xi _Gu Niang?"_

Xi Tian, sobbing into her rose sash, failed to make a coherent reply. Zhao Yun sighed wearily. Part of him sympathized with her, ached to see her cry, yet…Once upon a time, he had let her laughter charm him into giving in to her frivolous whims and games. He would not let himself be manipulated by her tears now.

Working to keep his voice at an even timbre, the Spear General commanded firmly, "Xi _Gu Niang. _Look at me."

And she did. Her vision was blurred by her post-confession tears, but for the first time since they'd met, Xi Tian truly looked at Zhao Yun. Gone were the dimples and blushes, the teasing laughter that she'd adopted in her guise of the impish handmaid, the flirtatious sideways glances of a young girl with a crush.

With no choice but to face the truth, Xi Tian found herself looking at the third Tiger General of Shu and at last seeing past the handsome exterior. She saw that his profile was strong with the power of a gallant warrior, yet the lines and curves of his face were still soft with youth and rather inexperienced of life outside the army tent. She saw that though his hands were not without their share of calluses, no doubt born from years of wielding the Fierce Dragon, his skin itself was remarkably, perfectly unmarred—a testament to his nigh invincibility in battle. She saw his chivalry, his courtesy, his gentle demeanor once off the fields of war—but, oh, what did it all matter now? If she were lucky, she would never see him again. If she were _un_lucky…But Xi Tian could not allow herself to die without somehow healing that look of hurt betrayal in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, General," she whispered helplessly, wringing her ruined sash between trembling fingers. "Perhaps in another lifetime, the gods will be kind enough to allow me to make amends for…for doing all this to you."

Zhao Yun didn't reply for a long time. When he finally parted his lips, as if to say something, a piercing cry emanating from somewhere in the gardens jolted the couple back to reality. After all, the world couldn't stop turning just to let one pair of would-be lovers sort out its problems, and within seconds, the soldier Ouyang crashed into view as proof of that sentiment.

"General! General Zhao!" the frantic boy half-wheezed, half-hollered at the top of his lungs. "General Zhao, the Changshan ladies are coming out and—"

Zhao Yun didn't stay long enough to find out what those plucky old dowagers had in store for him. A dark thundercloud briefly flittered across his features, before he leapt up, whistling for his horse as he did so. As soon as the snow-white charger had obediently trotted over to its master, Zhao Yun quickly tucked the Fierce Dragon under one arm while using the other to grab Xi Tian's hand. When his sniffling handmaid failed to budge, he lifted the uncooperative girl bodily off the grass and leapt atop his horse, cradling her in such a manner that would be sure to elicit plenty of gossip later on.

Xi Tian let out a shrill yelp when she felt herself being carried off, reflexively throwing up her arms and wrapping them around Zhao Yun's neck out of fear that she would otherwise tumble unceremoniously onto the ground. Locked in this strange embrace, the couple promptly fled from the Wu palace, from the matriarchs of Changshan and their marriageable young daughters.

Not a word passed between the two as they made their escape, until at last, Zhao Yun reached the shores of the Chang Jiang. The Fierce Dragon was the first to noiselessly clatter from his grasp. Xi Tian soon followed, as her bearer carefully dismounted before setting his blushing passenger onto the soft sand.

Off in the distance, the rolling waves of that great river crashed rhythmically, almost melodically, against the beach. Zhao Yun left Xi Tian's side and slowly walked up to the water's edge, staring in moody silence across the moonlit horizon. Somewhere to his far left, a fishing boat was beginning the motions of docking at a rickety old pier that looked ready to collapse under its own worm-eaten weight.

His attention was quickly diverted from that insignificant vessel when the sound of light footsteps behind him indicated that his companion in flight had gotten up as well. Xi Tian moved to join him at the line where pounding green waves mellowed out onto the sandy shore, but made sure to stay a few timid steps behind him.

"What happens now?" she asked in a small voice. "Are you going to take me prisoner in Shu's name?"

Zhao Yun sighed, before replying cryptically, "You're more like your famous ancestor than anybody realized, aren't you?"

A look of confusion swept across Xi Tian's face, so that her mouth opened slightly in a little "O" of surprise. Before she could give voice to that confusion, however, Zhao Yun turned around and captured her gaze. One arm reached up to cup her face in his hands, as he finished his previous thought in an almost tender whisper: "My little Xi Shi_(1)."_

It took Xi Tian a while to understand the comparison, and when she did, her breath caught in her throat. She looked up and into Zhao Yun's eyes, squaring back her shoulders and blinking fresh tears from her lashes in an effort to appear strong.

"Will you be my Fan Li, then," she asked in a shaky, hope-tinged whisper, "and take me away from all this?"

Zhao Yun shifted slightly on his feet, consciously bringing her body closer so that he might tilt her chin up toward him. This—everything—was so unlike his mist-filled dream from an eternity ago. Then, he had been ready to betray his reputation as that of a virtuous gentleman, for the sake of a kiss from an artless girl. Now…was he getting ready to betray his own lord, all for the sake of a kiss from that same, yet not-quite-so-artless girl?

Zhao Yun closed his eyes and stopped.

"No," he declared aloud, his lips less than a mere inch away from Xi Tian's face. His hand slipped off from her cheek, as he repeated in a shuddering whisper, "No."

From the left, the sound of sarcastic clapping reached his ears, as a gruff male voice scorned, "What a noble wretch you are, Zhao Zilong of Changshan!"

Zhao Yun's head snapped up, turning in the direction of the speaker as a tall, splendidly-armored apparition seemed to materialize in the sand. Xiahou Dun marched steadily toward the pair on the beach, cutting an imposing figure with his cruelly smirking lips and dull gold eye-patch.

"Well, well," the caustic Wei general sneered flippantly, beginning to cross the shore toward his targets, "what a heart-wrenching picture of a pair doomed lovers you two make. It's too bad I'll have to separate you, though—the girl's returning to Wei with me!"

Zhao Yun took a step forward as if to face off against this unexpected opponent.

"General Xiahou Dun," he acknowledged coldly, swooping up his spear in a graceful arc.

_Action!_ Xiahou Dun wickedly ran his tongue over his teeth at the prospect of a duel against a warrior from that tiny Western kingdom he despised so much, until an ingeniously ingenuous remark from the aforementioned warrior's companion placed a sudden rain cloud over his good mood.

_"Aiyo_…what is that dreadful smell?" Xi Tian wrinkled her nose in displeasure, before raising her sash from around her waist and using it to cover almost the entire lower portion of her face.

Xiahou Dun paused abruptly in his advancement toward Zhao Yun. The tips of his ears heated up with a scarlet flush of annoyance—and perhaps even mortification—as he recalled those endless hours spent on a slimy old fishing boat, fending off the stinking catch of the day as well as San Jie's enthusiastic wandering hands.

Judging by the look on his young opponent's face, it was obvious that the latter had also noticed his distinctive fishy fragrance. Xiahou Dun silently cursed his unfortunate method of transportation, before the silvery glint of a moonbeam striking the Fierce Dragon's spearhead guided his attention back to the matter at hand. In a swift, fluid motion, he unveiled the enormous Kirin Fang and pointed its blade against Zhao Yun.

"Zilong _hai er(2),"_ he called out condescendingly, "you have two choices here: You can make life easy for the both of us, and step aside and let me take back the girl…or you can try to resist, and earn a gallant epitaph along the lines of, 'He died nobly defending his love' for your early grave!"

A pause. Then: "So, boy—what will it be?"

* * *

_1. Renowned beauty from the Spring and Autumn Period, who was sent by the King of Yue to charm his enemy, the King of Wu, into neglecting state affairs. In comparing Xi Tian to Xi Shi—her "famous ancestor" because the two share the same family name—Zhao Yun is essentially telling her that her presence in Shu has charmed him into losing sight of his duties. Xi Tian turns the analogy around by reminding him of the second half of Xi Shi's legend: During the time that the Yue beauty spent in the King of Wu's court, a prime minister named Fan Li fell deeply in love with her, and she with him. After Xi Shi' s mission was complete, the pair got married and left Wu._

_2. Little boy._


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven: Decisions

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Decisions**

_White Clouds slowly drift away from the Western Sky._

* * *

Cold winds whipped through long, dark locks, pale moonlight shimmered surreally on merciless blades, pounding waves broke against a wide stretch of gritty riverbank.

The corner of a pair of cruelly red lips twisted up in a sardonic arc, as Xiahou Dun sneered at the youthful opponent he was currently facing off against. The heavy Kirin Fang sliced ominously through the air, as its master called out a taunt: "Don't be stupid, boy! Or has her overwhelming pinkness blinded your judgment as well as your eyes? She's a citizen of Wei, and I'm merely taking her back to where she rightfully belongs!"

Zhao Yun flinched briefly, but did not falter in his stance against his tormentor. If anything, the older general's gibing words only caused him to tighten his grip on the Fierce Dragon.

This slight movement did not escape Xiahou Dun's one functioning eye, as he spat out sharply, "What a disappointment you are, Zhao Zilong of Changshan! The man once known as a mighty dragon on the battlefield has now been reduced into a simpering romantic!"

Offhandedly, he added, almost as an afterthought, "Too busy being chivalrous to see to affairs of the bedroom, eh? Is that why you're so desperately clinging on to your handmaid?"

"Shut up!" Zhao Yun growled in a low voice, furious that Xi Tian should have to stand by and listen to such vulgarity.

But Xiahou Dun was having too much fun to bother taking heed of the younger man's command.

"If it's a bedmate you've been waiting for, boy, then you've certainly wasted your time with _her_—she's already been claimed," he continued to gloat. "But don't worry, I've got a very enthusiastic, ah, fish goddess waiting back on the boat who'll be more than delighted to get her hands on a handsome fella like you! Hell, she'll even polish your weapon for free!"

Zhao Yun's face turned scarlet, though whether from rage or mortification—or perhaps a combination of both—no one could quite tell. Briefly, he threw a concerned look over his shoulder at Xi Tian, apprehensive as to how Xiahou Dun's lewd words might have affected her. Finding a mixture of confusion and keen curiosity in her eyes, Zhao Yun inwardly sighed and wondered if he should feel relieved that her relative naïveté had shielded her from understanding Xiahou Dun's bawdy "weapons" metaphor…or whether he ought to be concerned that a few more rounds of the man's mockeries would rapidly corrupt that fragile innocence.

"Well, hurry up!" Xiahou Dun called out with a hint of irritability in his voice. "Make your decision now—be smart and hand her over to me…or suffer the consequences?"

Silence.

Zhao Yun's normally gentle eyes narrowed in a glare, before he spun the Fierce Dragon in a graceful arc and delivered his response in a firm voice.

"I've made my decision." And with those words, he charged.

* * *

Sima Yi languidly spread his arms, as Ying Ying bustled about, removing his violet brocade robe from around his slender frame.

"You really should keep a closer eye on some of these handmaids, Ying Ying," the Wei strategist was chiding in a deceptively soft, calm voice. "Just now, one of the silly girls was blubbering around the gardens about General Zhao Zilong's so-called engagement to our Xi _Gu Niang."_

Ying Ying paused momentarily in her work, quirking her mouth in an offended pout when she heard her master's mild reprimand.

"Hn. _Jie jie mei mei meng, po po ya tou meng(1)—_there are so many women running around this palace, and you expect me to keep track of them all?" she sassed, walking around her master so that they were face to face and poking a slim finger into his chest. "Not to mention all the strange girls that keep showing up as new additions to the Bronze Bird Tower! I am but one small and insignificant handmaid; how do you expect me to control their every movement?"

And she wrinkled her nose at him, before sashaying off with a delicate little huff.

Sima Yi chuckled after her disappearing back, before condescending to entreat, "Don't be angry, child. I didn't mean that you should act as some sort of undignified watchdog."

Ying Ying paused in mid-step, pivoting around with one hand on her hip as she smirked and agreed, "Of course not. That's Li _Nai Nai's(2)_ job."

Sima Yi deigned a smile at her little joke, motioning with one hand that she return. Ying Ying complied after a few seconds, gliding over and removing his black-feathered helmet for him as she added, "Anyway, it was simply a letter—a letter which you eventually found to be false. I just don't see what the big fuss is all about."

Sima Yi's lips tightened into a thin line.

"That blustering drunkard Zhang Yide is quite clever, after all," he reluctantly admitted, almost as if to himself rather than to his handmaid. "I don't believe he has managed to figure out our reasons for marrying Xi _Gu Niang_ to Boyue—I don't believe anybody in Shu even knows of their engagement yet."

He paused to accept some red tea which Ying Ying had prepared, but did not immediately drink from the delicately painted china cup. His eyes idly observed the tiny puffs of steam rise from the cooling beverage, before he resumed speaking.

"However, I _do_ believe that someone in Shu has managed to deduce that our dear Xi _Gu Niang_ is actually a spy for Wei," he continued in an almost detached manner. "Zhang Yide must have thought that by setting up a false engagement between Xi _Gu Niang_ and one of Shu's most prominent officers, it would throw off our plans. After all, how can Wei trust the reports of a girl who's allegedly been having an affair with, and is even planning to marry, one of the enemy?"

Ying Ying shrugged.

"It sounds too clever a plan for that sloppy old swine to have thought up all by himself," she declared, working her features into an expression of dainty boredom. "He probably just decided to play a bad joke in a drunken stupor, and you've taken it the wrong way."

Sima Yi smirked, and finally took a sip from his now-lukewarm tea.

"Either way, Zhang Yide's letter is no longer of any importance," he asserted with cool confidence. "At this very moment, our own illustrious General Xiahou is in the process of escorting Xi _Gu Niang_ back to Xuchang to be married."

* * *

Steel against steel, fury against fury, as two warriors met on the endless shore of the Chang Jiang.

_What a surprise, Zhao Zilong—you're publicly defending a spy and a traitor to your nation?_

_Clang!_ A piercing metallic shriek soared into the midnight skies. A spearhead slashed expertly through the air, only to be countered at the last second by a formidable scimitar blade.

_I imagine the higher-ups sitting on their asses back in Jingzhou won't be too happy to learn of your treachery, will they?_

Ornate armor thundered heavily against their wearers' bodies. Amidst a wild tornado of blows and dodges, a sharp weapon's edge managed to nick a section of exposed flesh, shredding the surrounding skin and drawing a line of stark crimson.

_That was good. I suppose I've been underestimating you a little bit, haven't I, boy?_

Ruthless strikes, growls of rage, hateful glares. Under this unrelenting assault, one of the duelists was forced to adopt a disadvantageous defensive position. A massive left-to-right side swipe from the Kirin Fang, and he staggered back and almost stumbled in the sand.

_Excellent work, Xi Gu Niang! You've succeeded in bewitching Shu's greatest hero into a lovesick bleeding heart!_

Spear flying at unprotected throat, scimitar slashing across armored chest. Sweat trickling saltily down foreheads, blood being spat out of parched lips. Volleys of insults hurled by one of the combatants, angry narrowing of brows in response to these stinging taunts.

_Very amusing, boy! I'll be sure to write to your comrades in Shu about how valiantly you fought in the name of your little ladylove!_

A grunt of pain, of anger, before one found himself looking at the harshly glinting point of the Fierce Dragon at the same time that the other felt the cold edge of the Kirin Fang pressing against his neck.

_So it's come down to this, has it? I repeat my offer—give the girl up, or choose to defy me and earn a romantic epitaph for your troubles?_

Dark eyes glared defiantly at the older and more experienced warrior, even as their owner felt the latter's scimitar driving into his skin, steadily exerting pressure on his jugular vein.

_I will not let you take Xi Gu Niang to Wei so that she may live out the rest of her days as one of Cao Cao's pawns of war._

Brutally handsome features twisted themselves into an ugly sneer.

_Then I see you've chosen the epitaph._

The Kirin Fang pushed deeper into its victim's throat, almost drawing blood. At the same time, the master of that fearsome saber both saw and felt the Fierce Dragon point at his skull and graze the vulnerable spot between his eyes.

_If we both have to die so that Xi Gu Niang may be free, so be it._

"No!"

Heads turned in the direction of the new voice, as Xi Tian, who'd remained silent throughout the length of the duel, finally spoke up. She gathered her gossamer silk skirts and ran hastily across the beach, a ghostly moonlit figure clad in soft rose, as she moved to stand behind the man whose side she had chosen.

Xiahou Dun.

Zhao Yun could only stand by and watch in stunned silence, as the girl he loved made her decision.

"No, General Zhao. No." Xi Tian begged in a whisper, unable to look at the man she'd just been forced to betray for a second time in one night.

"Xi _Gu Niang_…why?" Zhao Yun began brokenly, but was cut off by Xiahou Dun, who snapped crisply, "The girl's made her choice. But don't despair, there are plenty of obnoxious matchmakers out there who'll be more than happy to saddle you with a wife or ten!"

He roughly grabbed Xi Tian's arm and hauled her off toward the Wei-bound boat still waiting by the rickety old harbor. The last Zhao Yun saw of them was Xiahou Dun throwing a merry red traveling cape over his captive's shoulders. Xi Tian turned around once to exchange a farewell glance with the man known as the Little Dragon, before her escort impatiently pushed her forward. Soon, the pair had seamlessly disappeared into the darkness where not even the moon's far-flung silver beams were able to reach the sand.

* * *

When Guan Ping arrived in Wu, the sleepy pink rays of dawn were just beginning to peek over the horizon. A far-off rooster crowed somewhere in the distance, as the dutiful young officer disembarked and promptly resumed his quest for the Third Tiger of Shu.

He didn't have to search for long. Guan Ping galloped madly across the sand, to where a despondent figure in silver-and-blue armor was sitting on the beach. When he felt he was within hearing range, the youth called out urgently, "General Zhao!"

He reined in Red Hare so abruptly that the startled horse reared up and unleashed a series of shrill neighs. In a flash, Guan Ping had dismounted and was running down the shore. He hurriedly pulled out the letter entrusted to his care and waved it toward the man who was to receive it, at the same time repeating his greeting: "General Zhao! General, I have a letter from our Lord Liu Bei—"

Suddenly, he paused, the unnerving feeling that Zhao Yun had failed to hear him slowly creeping into his senses. Hesitantly, Guan Ping looked down at his immobile superior, venturing in a troubled voice, "General? Has something gone wrong?"

Zhao Yun finally acknowledged the boy. He made a slight effort to turn around, and hoarsely, hollowly, muttered a single phrase: "She's gone."

* * *

_1. Literally: older sisters and younger sisters, grannies and little girls. Ying Ying is actually referring to her fellow handmaids as her sisters, the old servants as grannies, and the child servants as the little girls._

_2. Grandma, a title given to old female servants._


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight: Reconstructions, I

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Reconstructions, Part I**

_A new arc begins, as characters struggle to rebuild old lives._

* * *

A stallion's abrasive neigh was the sole fanfare announcing Xiahou Dun's triumphant return to Xuchang. Hearing it, civilians on the busy city streets hastily scurried about to make way for their famously quick-tempered general. Minutes later, the striking, blue-and-gold-armored warrior indeed rode into view, the Kirin Fang gleaming threateningly at his side, his razor-sharp features etched into lines of deep irritation.

The source of his thunderous mood soon revealed itself, as a close-topped carriage emerged, following Xiahou Dun's horse at a demure pace. Already, whispered conversations were beginning to spring up amongst Xuchang's populace. A girl was said to be the sole passenger of that mysterious carriage, a girl who was allegedly the last daughter of a house of fallen aristocrats, who was a captive from the kingdom of Shu, and who was being brought to the Wei capital to be married to one of Cao Cao's rising young officers. Some even speculated that the as-yet unseen maiden might be Xiahou Dun's own secret lover, although those bold enough to hold such views only dared voice their thoughts in the most conspiratorial of whispers.

It wasn't too long before both Xiahou Dun and his companion had disappeared behind the soaring stone walls of Cao Cao's extravagant palace. Steel-faced guards slowly closed the gates after the two, and the curious citizens had no choice but to scatter and return to their daily businesses.

Yet the predominant feeling amongst these men and women was that they would not have to wait too much before their questions about the girl in the carriage would all be answered. Their Lord Mengde was not one to keep quiet about his women—not for long, at least.

* * *

Inside the palace walls, Xiahou Dun curtly dismounted and tossed his horse's reins to a nearby soldier. In a single snapping motion, he had turned around and stridden over to the carriage behind him.

"Get out," he ordered coldly, flinging the door wide open and adding to the girl seated inside, "Time for a little family reunion."

Xi Tian stepped out uncertainly, forcing herself to swallow back a shriek when Xiahou Dun reached in and virtually yanked her from the vehicle. _Well! Some men certainly knew how to hold grudges,_ she decided to herself after being dumped rather unceremoniously onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Xiahou Dun had already begun walking—marching, it seemed more like—presumably towards that "family reunion" he'd alluded to just then. Xi Tian gave herself a couple of seconds to smooth over her rumpled clothes to the best of her abilities, before gathering the crimson edges of her long traveler's cape around her legs and hastening to follow in his brisk steps.

Together, they moved past exquisite gardens and stone paths lined with armed soldiers, until at last, Xiahou Dun stopped before a pair of closed mahogany gates. A lightning scowl flashed across his one eye upon finding the gates locked, before he picked up the brass doorknockers and impatiently clanged them against the polished burgundy wood.

"Open up in there, old man!" he barked in what Xi Tian deemed an unnecessarily rude voice.

Before she could dwell on that thought for too long, the gates were indeed hurriedly opened, and a stout old figure tottered out.

"Amah!" Xi Tian rushed past her grumpy escort and flew into the portly woman's arms, while her nurse simply held her and wept in noisy gulps.

"Miss Xi Tian…Miss Xi Tian, it's really you," Amah managed to choke out between sobs.

Xiahou Dun swept a quick glance at the two females as they held each other and cried a lifetime's worth of tears. For a fleeting moment, he looked almost uncomfortable: a third party intruding upon this familial scene. He coughed, glared in annoyance, and tried muttering something under his breath, but all his actions were to no avail, as he continued to be—surprisingly—ignored.

"I suppose I'll go to my cousin now," he finally harrumphed, before turning around and fleeing the scene lest he find himself drowning under the weight of a flood of tears.

The two that his words were intended for didn't seem to have heard, as Amah and Xi Tian continued to hold each other and weep.

"I was out by these gates waiting for you until well into the afternoon," Amah revealed after she had regained some measure of control. "I…Lord Xi…the girls…We all thought you wouldn't be coming back today…"

"There, there, Amah," Xi Tian murmured, fondly patting the other woman's back. "I've finally come back…but where's my father? I have to go see him at once!"

Amah was instantly back on guard and up in arms again, although why, her charge wouldn't figure out until she opened her mouth and the following sentence stampeded out.

"Not looking like this, you're not!" Amah chastised, taking out her handkerchief and dabbing at her young mistress's tear-stained face.

"Oh, Amah—" Xi Tian started to protest embarrassedly, but the old woman cut her off with a huff of, "Don't tell me you've lost all sense of propriety in Shu, young lady…And just where is your own handkerchief, anyway?"

Xi Tian could only lower her head and blush in silence, unwilling to disclose the episode on the Chang Jiang that had led to the loss—or rather, the impartment—of her handkerchief. Thankfully, before she would be forced to think up a plausible excuse, the sound of footsteps rang across the air.

The handmaids Yinchun and Firelight emerged from inside the house, one clad in lavender and pearls, the other in vibrant carmine silk. Between them they supported a frail and gaunt form, bent with grief rather than old age and clutching a tall cane to support his daily-diminishing weight.

Xi Tian let go of her nurse as soon as she saw the fragile, snow-haired figure heading down the steps. The tears that Amah had worked so hard to wipe away now flowed afresh, as Xi Tian collapsed weakly onto her knees and bowed until her forehead touched the ground.

"Papa!"

* * *

_"We're facing a sudden and unexpected crisis, one from within the heart of our nation, and I cannot allow myself to remain selfishly with my own family. I now bear the responsibilities fitting of the Queen of Shu, and with this new ordeal about secret spies and Wei's clandestine agendas, my place should rightfully be by my husband's side…and, uh…in my own kingdom…um…"_

Liu Bei found himself unconsciously bending his lips into a half-smile as he recalled his young wife's hasty return from Wu and subsequent hastier speech. A spokeswoman Sun Shang Xiang was not, and though she'd memorized her lines admirably well (Liu Bei suspected it was her head bodyguard, Phoenix, who'd penned most of those flowery words), she'd been unable to keep up the charade for very long.

Thankfully, Zhuge Liang had foreseen that, as he seemed to foresee just about everything nowadays. With impeccable timing, the strategist had sent a courier into the meeting hall to interrupt with breaking news that must be delivered, privately and at once, to the leader of Shu.

The conference had been duly called off, much to the relief of the floundering Sun Shang Xiang and the chagrin of Zhang Fei. The swarthy Second Tiger was still paying up for all his misplaced little bets when Liu Bei stepped into his library with Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong following closely behind.

Now, the virtuous Shu king forced his mind back to the situation at hand, as his two strategists debated amongst themselves about expansions and conquests.

"Jingzhou's a nice stronghold, but it's only one little province," Pang Tong was arguing. "We can hardly call ourselves a kingdom if all we have is just this one piece of land. Yizhou, on the other hand, would be an excellent acquisition: It's rich and fertile of soil, and we already have the maps from Zhang Song, telling us every nook and crevice of that territory. Really, I see no reason why we're still idling around here."

Zhuge Liang sat and listened, calmly fanning himself as he waited for the eccentric little man to finish before putting forth his own views.

"Except that now is not the appropriate time for a campaign," he insisted calmly.

Pang Tong snorted something not-very-flattering behind his multi-layered cloaks, before turning to his king and prodding, "My lord?"

Liu Bei's chest rose and fell in a heavy sigh, his face fixed along lines of deep and troubled thought.

"Liu Zhang, the current ruler of Yizhou, is my relative. I cannot even begin to fathom attacking someone of my own bloodline," came the eventual response, softly uttered yet undeniably firm in its stance.

"And Shu as a whole cannot afford to lose the citizens' trust," Zhuge Liang brought the argument to its next logical level.

He calmly fanned himself a couple of times, before raising a second, more serious point: "Then there is also the matter of Zhang Lu to the east. He may not seem like such a viable threat, but he does have under him one _Meng Jiang(1)_ in particular who troubles me quite a bit."

"You mean that headstrong Ma kid from Xiliang?" Pang Tong guessed. "He's but a boy."

"A boy whom the people don't call Ma Chao the Splendid for nothing," Zhuge Liang reminded the shorter man.

Pang Tong looked like he wanted to hop up and down in frustration. Ultimately, he managed to quell that rather unprofessional urge, and simply pointed out, "In the end, it won't matter how 'Splendid' this horse-boy_(2)_ is—we can still afford to spare four superior warriors to occupy Yizhou and suppress Zhang Lu's threat at the same time. Besides, for all we know, the locals calling him 'Splendid' could merely be a horde of girls smitten with his looks. And, with all due respect, sir—" here he turned to face Liu Bei—"Liu Zhang is hardly an able ruler. It'll only take a couple of weeks to take over Yizhou."

"That does not justify my invading a kinsman's land," Liu Bei answered quietly.

"If you don't do it now, somebody's bound to sooner or later," Pang Tong declared, traces of impatience beginning to creep into his voice.

Liu Bei looked torn. Raising his eyes to his other advisor, he parted his lips in a silent question, one which Zhuge Liang answered with, "I agree with Shiyuan in that we should eventually prepare an expedition into Yizhou…only now's not the right time."

"Oh, sure it is—" Pang Tong started to scoff, but was shot down by a single statement from his old schoolmate.

"One of our best generals is currently not in the right state of mind to march on such a rigorous campaign," the Sleeping Dragon interrupted plainly.

* * *

_1. Literally, a fierce warrior. This term is a common way to refer to the foremost generals serving under a ruler._

_2. A pun on Ma Chao's name. "Ma" is both written and pronounced the exact same way as the Chinese character for "Horse."_


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine: Reconstructions, II

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Reconstructions, Part II**

_A new arc begins, as characters struggle to rebuild old lives._

* * *

Anybody present at the meeting between Liu Bei and his two most trustworthy tacticians would have immediately been able to discern which troubled general Zhuge Liang had been talking about.

The last shimmering rays of sunset found Zhao Yun sitting moodily before a small lotus lake, a pale rose handkerchief in his hands and an unreadable frown on his face as he gazed into the golden horizon. The filmy green branches of the weeping willows growing behind him effectively formed a live curtain, rustling rhythmically in the wind and obscuring his face and body from view. It was almost as if Nature herself understood the disconsolate warrior's desire for privacy, and was doing her best to accommodate his wishes.

So were, for that matter, the two Tiger Generals who encountered this scene. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei paused briefly upon sighting their comrade in arms, and the latter even looked like he wanted to say something. However, at the meaningful headshake from the leader of Shu's Tigers, the two quietly resumed their walk, leaving Zhao Yun to be alone with his silent thoughts.

"He's been like this ever since returning from Wu," Guan Yu, once out of the younger man's hearing range, observed with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "I suspect that the scandal involving his handmaid and her ensuing return to Wei has affected him more deeply than anyone could have predicted."

Zhang Fei coughed and gave a series of uncomfortable harrumphs, before finally admitting, "And thanks to this lovesick mess, my daughter's now not speaking to me!"

"Oh?" Guan Yu's voice didn't audibly fluctuate in tone, as he raised one hand and calmly stroked his beard.

"Apparently, Xing Cai finds the notion of forbidden love hopelessly romantic," Zhang Fei grumbled, "and she blames _me_ for playing a role in breaking up Zilong and his wench!"

Guan Yu didn't respond to that, but his sworn brother had a sneaking suspicion that he was hiding a smile behind that famously luxuriant beard.

* * *

Cherry lips.

Sooty lashes.

Tired golden eyes.

Xi Tian absently watched her reflection in the mirror as she tried to brush her hair. It didn't take long for her to decide that she looked terrible. Her forehead was creased along tiny lines of exhaustion, her eyes were swollen and lackluster, and her cheeks appeared an uncharacteristic pale shade. Of course, all those hours of non-stop travel by boat and by carriage hadn't exactly done wonders for her. Perhaps a good night's rest might restore her youth and vitality, Xi Tian hoped, as the ivory comb in her hand moved through her raven locks at a slow, ineffective pace.

She failed to turn around when she heard the doors to her room open and close, but instead chose to observe her visitor's movements in the mirror, as Amah entered and bustled busily about. Upon catching sight of what her young mistress was trying to do, the stout old nurse strode forward and pried the comb out of Xi Tian's hands.

"My little miss looks rather quiet and serious tonight," she commented, as she began to briskly and efficiently brush the girl's long, black hair.

"Do I?" Xi Tian's lips barely seemed to move.

"Poor child, you've had to do a lot of growing up over the past year, haven't you." Amah's words came out sounding more like a statement rather than a question, and what she chose to say next surprised both her charge as well as herself: "But, it's just as well—I dare say the House of Jiang wouldn't want to receive a naïve child for its daughter-in-law."

Xi Tian stiffened in her chair, and Amah herself appeared to have realized that she'd said something that wasn't in her place to say, for she immediately bit her lips to stop herself from blabbing out anything else. Yet the damage was already done, as the young girl in the chair slowly turned to look up at her nurse with a face that was as white as the moon outside her window.

"_What?"_ Xi Tian asked in a strangled whisper, sounding almost as if the wind had been momentarily knocked out of her.

Amah looked flustered, shuffling around and coughing guiltily as she tried to avoid looking at her Young Miss in the eye.

"Amah." Xi Tian's voice was firm. "Amah, what did you say about the House of Jiang seeking a daughter-in-law?"

For the first time since Xi Tian could remember, Amah actually blushed, as the old woman confessed, "I'm sorry, Miss Xi Tian, I wasn't supposed to tell you this tonight. Your father—the Jiang family—in fact even our Lord Mengde—they were all planning to announce the engagement at a banquet next week…it was…it was supposed to be a surprise…Now, I must admit this all seems a little bit extravagant that even the Lord of Wei himself has a hand in planning this party, but of course, my little girl's special, and deserves everything—"

Now Amah was simply gibbering in her nervousness. Xi Tian put out an arm as if to reassure her nurse, although she soon found that it wasn't much help, for her own hand was trembling.

"An engagement?" she repeated.

For, it seemed as if all she could do was echo Amah's words, her shock preventing her from forming coherent sentences of her own.

Amah stopped gabbling, and beamed a huge smile down at the little ingénue she'd come to think of as her own child.

"To the young and handsome General Jiang Wei of Tianshui," she positively chirped in her happiness. "Oh, isn't this wonderful news, Miss Xi Tian?"

Xi Tian's face was like stone when she finally made her obliging reply: "Yes. Yes it is."

Oblivious to the girl's distress, Amah continued to happily chatter on, reiterating all the good things attached to the Jiang family name and gushing over what a beautiful bride her Young Miss was going to make. Xi Tian sat frozen in her chair, letting her kindly old nurse blather on in her ignorant bliss. She tilted her face down in a daze, and caught a glimpse of a single length of silver-embroidered green brocade that sat folded on her dresser. The sight brought back a rush of memories, many of them painfully recent, and for a moment the room seemed to spin dizzyingly, causing her to close her eyes and rest her forehead against the palm of one hand.

When Xi Tian had recovered a few seconds later, there was a dull, empty tinge in her eyes that Amah would have noticed immediately had she not been so busy singing Jiang Wei's praises.

"…Not to mention what a fine young gentleman General Jiang is. He truly is quite a catch you know, and, of course, he's so very handsome…"

"Of course," Xi Tian parroted obediently, as she reached over to grasp the length of luxurious fabric dyed the same shade of emerald as Shu's dragon flags.

Zhao Yun's green headband.

"…And of course, Lord Xi is very pleased with this match…"

"Of course."

Xi Tian had long learned to chime in with the appropriate response, her mind a thousand _li_ away from the one-sided conversation with Amah, as with her other hand she brought over a small, multi-pronged brass candelabra. Almost as if in a trance, she took Zhao Yun's ribbon and held it above the hottest flame. And yet…and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. Her fingers lingered just above the tiny dancing flickers of scarlet and gold, one edge of the brocade dangling dangerously close to the candlelight.

"…And I'm sure he'll be such a wonderful husband…Miss Xi Tian, this is one of the happiest days in your life, knowing you'll be marrying such an illustrious young officer…"

"Of course."

Xi Tian squeezed her eyes shut and let her fingers go lax, and Zhao Yun's green ribbon fluttered down…down…down…

She let out the softest of moans and turned away, unable to bear watching the first tongue of fire blacken and consume the only token she had from the Little Dragon of Changshan.

"…Miss Xi Tian?" Amah finally seemed to have realized that her mistress was acting less than enthused about her upcoming nuptials. "Miss Xi Tian, are you feeling well?"

"Of course."

By now, that phrase had become a grotesque chant, and Amah was not quite so old that she couldn't detect something was wrong. Her hand reached over and turned Xi Tian's face around, and she was startled to find twin lines of tears sparkling on the girl's cheeks.

"Miss Xi Tian, what's going on? Why did you just burn that piece of green silk?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips and preparing her weapons for a hard battle ahead in case her charge tried to conceal anything.

"Nothing's wrong," Xi Tian lied in a broken whisper.

Amah narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. A lifetime of working for the House of Xi had taught her better than to ever trust those two seemingly harmless words. She had certainly spent her share of time caring for not only the four Xi girls, but their spirited handmaids as well, and all those years dealing with their little crushes and heartbreaks had wised her up to their defensive white lies.

"Miss Xi Tian, don't you be trying to fool your own nurse," the old woman warned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know something's wrong here—"

Xi Tian interrupted before the rant could really get started, and the voice with which she used to accomplish that task so was so cool and lifeless that for a moment, Amah was startled into silence.

* * *

Later that night, long after her mistress had presumably gone to bed, Amah found herself continuously reliving those last few moments of her confrontation with the girl. Xi Tian had sniffled once, twice, then reached out across her dresser and toward the pile of smoky ashes that had once been a green brocade ribbon. With her fingertips, she'd carefully flicked the remains out of sight, never once offering a word of explanation as to why she'd performed such a peculiar ritual in the first place.

Only until after that chore was done did she finally look up. The smile that she'd then bestowed upon her nurse had been the prettiest, most hollow one Amah had ever seen in her sixty-four years of life.

As the old woman loosened her gray hair from its tight buns and laid her head on her pillow, Xi Tian's last words came swirling back to haunt her dreams:

"I'm going to be marrying General Jiang Wei of Tianshui. Of course nothing's wrong."


	40. Chapter Forty: Introductions

**Chapter Forty: Introductions**

_Entrances include the warriors of the Ma Clan, as well as the reappearance of a certain young Wei officer._

* * *

For many a great warrior, the spear was a favorite weapon of choice. Its significant length provided excellent range and reach, an advantage only amplified during mounted dueling. Yet at the same time, it was also simultaneously light enough to foil a nimble sword and strong enough to counter an unwieldy halberd. Lastly, in the event that should the spearhead itself be somehow thwarted, the pole could still be used to deal the decisive blow in a match.

But for twenty-one-year-old Ma Chao of Xiliang, his Stallion Fury was more than just a mere weapon. It was a part of his own body. It moved with a lethal grace, the slender, serpentine shaft arching through the air as if by an extension of its master's will. It danced and twisted in combat, thrusting forward, whirling back, soaring up and spinning three-hundred-and-sixty-degrees in flight at a speed that was at once breathtaking and dizzying to behold. Its sharp iron tip glinted in the sunlight with a surreal beauty—surreal and sinister, for each half-moon drawn by that silvery blade meant certain death for a felled opponent.

Or it would have, had Ma Chao's strike not been countered by an unusually brave sparring partner: a young woman, no older than twenty, wearing a blue-feathered tiara in her jet ponytail and a steel-gray armor tailored especially for her athletic but still slim build. She was not particularly beautiful, but her features—razor cheekbones, proudly chiseled nose, and strong, dark brows—were set in such a way so as to render her face quite striking to the eye.

That same striking face was now curving its shell-pink mouth in a smirk at the temporarily bested Horse General.

"Show off!" Ma Yun Lu_(1)_ sang out, partly out of annoyance at her brother's fancy moves, partly to provoke the admittedly hot-tempered warrior.

With an agility that almost rivaled the Stallion Fury's effortless movements, she leapt back and raised her own spear in an offensive stance.

"Well?" She cocked an eyebrow, as if to goad on her adversary.

"That was good." Said with just a tinge of grudging admiration.

Ma Yun Lu grinned upon hearing those satisfying three words, while her aforementioned adversary stepped back and took some time to shoulder off his soaked black fighting robe and run a hand across his sweaty forehead. These particular actions only made the youngest of the Ma Clan roll her almond eyes heavenward, before she eased out of her stance in order to taunt, "Hn! They may not call me 'Splendid,' but at least _I_ don't need to take my shirt off every time I fight!"

Ma Chao glared at his nineteen-year-old sister. His very _outspoken,_ nineteen-year-old sister. Still, the girl did have a natural talent for spearmanship…although in this particular instance, she'd lowered her guard just long enough for her brother to take revenge.

In a flash, he had closed the gap between himself and his gloating sister. Before the startled Ma Yun Lu had time to execute a second counter, the cold iron head of the Stallion Fury was pointing straight at the heart of her gleaming breastplate.

"Give up?" A smug quirking of Ma Chao's upper lip was the only indication of how much he was truly enjoying this victory.

"Fine, fine," Ma Yun Lu grumbled, letting her own weapon clatter to the ground as a gesture of surrender.

However, as soon as her brother had retracted his spear, she wasted no time in biting back under her breath, "Although you _could_ have chosen a more decent area to point that thing at!"

Now it was Ma Chao's turn to roll his eyes, until the sight of his cousin Ma Dai changed the retort already on his lips into a greeting instead.

"Is something the matter?" the handsome young lord of Xiliang asked. "You look troubled."

Ma Dai slowly shook his head to deny any distressing notions, but the look in his eyes betrayed him as he reported, "It's Zhang Lu, Cousin. He wants to speak to you—at once."

The friendly look on Ma Chao's face was immediately extinguished by a scowl, as he narrowed his eyes and scoffed, "Doesn't the old fool have enough courtiers to feed his ego? Is he now planning to train me to spout off pretty lies on cue?"

"You should be one to talk about egos." Ma Yun Lu walked up to her two kinsmen, and continued her teasing: "Considering your own giggly little worshippers!"

She then pursed her lips in a girlish pout and proceeded to imitate in an exaggerated, high-pitched squeal, "Oh, Lord Mengqi, what strong arms you have! Oh, General Ma, what manly hands you have! You're our splendid hero! _Tee hee hee."_

Both males chose to ignore her comments, although the elder of the two did send his sister an annoyed glare for her troubles. His cousin intercepted the look, and hastened to continue before yet another sibling spat could break out.

"No, it's not that," Ma Dai said reassuringly. "I think Zhang Lu's worried about a possible invasion of Hanzhong, supposedly coming from the Southeast. In either case, he wants to speak to you, Cousin. Immediately."

Ma Chao sighed, before reluctantly nodding and setting off in the direction of Zhang Lu's ornate—unnecessarily ornate—castle, throwing on a fresh silk robe as he did so.

"Which invading warlord does the old fool want me to fight off now?" he wondered, a hint of scorn coloring his voice.

"Can't be Cao Cao," he heard his sister's voice faintly, and rather cheekily, call out after him. "Bastard's too busy publicizing some wedding extravaganza and fawning over the bride to worry about expanding his territory!"

* * *

Black. Murky. Endless. Completely, utterly, and thoroughly nauseating…

A string of adjectives ran through Xi Tian's mind as she looked down at the medicine bowl in her hands with unconcealed distaste.

"I'm feeling sick just being near this thing," she declared, tentatively sniffing at the thick, dark liquid before wrinkling her nose and making a sour face.

"It's what's keeping me alive, child," Lord Xi replied benevolently from his seat on a brocade-upholstered divan. "At least until I can see my Little Treasure get married to her gallant officer."

Xi Tian's frown deepened upon hearing those words, before she bent her head and scooped up some medicine.

"Don't say that, Papa," she pleaded, as the old gentleman obediently took the spoonful of pungent brew that she held out at him. "You're going to get better. Dr. Hua is the most famous physician in the country."

Lord Xi took the white-and-blue china bowl from his daughter, and swallowed the rest of the medicine in a series of small, continuous gulps.

"Right now, I believe only Heaven's own physicians will be able to cure me of this consumption," he remarked without bitterness, as his daughter moved next to him and used a new lotus-pink handkerchief to dab at the tiny drops of tonic that had trickled down his jaw.

Xi Tian's eyes widened at this gloomy statement, but before she could speak, Yinchun's voice drifted in sweetly from the front doors: "The Jiang family is here."

Lord Xi broke into a smile when he heard that welcome announcement, although his daughter's lightning frown told an entirely different story. In his eagerness to receive his future in-laws, however, the devoted father failed to notice such a reaction, as he instead chided Yinchun in a gentle tone, "Why, don't be a silly girl, and let them in, of course."

Turning to Xi Tian, the snow-haired nobleman happily clasped her hand and instructed, "We must welcome them at once."

With that, he gave a little squeeze, before letting go to stand up and head for the doors, as if fearing that Yinchun couldn't usher in the Jiangs fast enough.

Xi Tian was left behind on the gold brocade divan, clutching her handkerchief to her lap and wearing an unreadable look in her normally artless eyes. Despite her father's words, she found that she couldn't move a muscle, and instead simply continued sitting where she was, frozen in place and vaguely hearing the greetings and small talk that floated in from the halls.

It was only when Jiang Wei's voice spoke up, softly yet nevertheless distinct, that realization suddenly hit her like a thunderclap: _Her future husband was somewhere just outside this very room._

"…Oh, but where is that mischievous child?"

Hazily, Xi Tian caught her father's laughing words, and she knew it wouldn't be long before she would have to face that young general she'd heard so much about.

As if right on cue, Firelight stepped inside in a busy flurry of red silk and raven braids. A bright smile dimpled her rosy cheeks, as she darted across the room towards her mistress and grasped the latter's hand.

"Hurry, Miss Xi Tian," the spirited handmaid sang out laughingly. "You have to meet General Jiang!"

Xi Tian tried, and failed, to imitate the young girl's merry mood.

"I don't think I'm quite ready yet," she stammered weakly, but Firelight, heedless of her protest, was already dragging her out the doors.

Xi Tian caught a brief glimpse of ornate mahogany furniture and rich silk portieres along the way, before she was finally propelled into the room where her future husband awaited her. As for Firelight, the handmaid managed to contain her excitement enough to slow down to a more ladylike pace upon entering the chambers, so that its occupants carried on their conversation unaware of their new guests. For the two girls' part, they could briefly observe said occupants unnoticed.

"There he is," Firelight whispered girlishly, and Xi Tian's eyes followed in the direction she was pointing at. "Oh, Miss Xi Tian, isn't he so handsome?"

"The handsomest," Xi Tian obligingly whispered back, although in truth she really couldn't say: the young man who'd so impressed her family was currently seated at such an angle that only a narrow portion of his profile was visible to her.

This problem was resolved as soon as Lord Xi sensed two new presences in the room. The feeble gentleman glanced up, and had no trouble identifying his daughter and her handmaid lingering by the entrance. His face immediately lit up with a fond smile, and he set down his teacup to greet them.

"After all these years, Daughter, you are still finding it difficult to be on time every now and then," he chided affectionately, straining to stand up and leaning heavily on his cane.

Jiang Wei hastened to reach forward and help support the old aristocrat, while the boy's plump, kindly mother turned around to welcome her future daughter-in-law.

"Come on in," the middle-aged woman invited cheerfully. "No need to be shy here; we're all going to be family very soon."

Firelight accepted the invitation and eagerly sashayed inside. Xi Tian, however, found herself suddenly as immobile as if she had been carved out of marble. She stood rooted to her place, a pretty statue with golden eyes lowered steadfastly to the ground so that she wouldn't have to look at anybody in the face.

"Tian Tian," Lord Xi called encouragingly, but the nickname that would have usually brought a grin upon its wearer's lips now seemed to bounce uselessly off of her.

Her father, however, understood—or at least thought he understood. He made a quick gesture at Firelight, and the crimson-clad handmaid obediently scurried over to her mistress.

"Let's go, Miss Xi Tian," she beamed, and began leading her by hand into the room.

Xi Tian at last entered, slowly but without protest, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. It was an action founded on hopes of avoiding having to look at the young man who'd been the reason behind stealing her away from Zhao Yun, but one which the others mistook for simple modesty.

Yet Xi Tian also knew that she couldn't evade Jiang Wei forever. When she finally saw the dark green silk of his clothes before her, heard the faint metallic rustling of his armor, she knew that she would have to raise her head…and at last meet his eyes.

Amah and Firelight had been right.

General Jiang Wei of Tianshui was, indeed, very handsome…

…_Because he looked almost exactly like a younger version of Zhao Yun._

It was all there—the soft dark eyes, the sculpted features, the boyish smile…Even his hair, different though it may be in color, was pulled back into a long ponytail not terribly unlike Zilong's.

The irony of the situation was not lost on Xi Tian. She had been taken from Zhao Yun's side, so that she might marry his younger Wei counterpart.

But she smartly kept that thought, amongst others, to herself, and when she heard his voice speak her name, she responded with the appropriate acknowledgement. And, because everyone else in the room would be watching her next step, Xi Tian raised her eyes at Jiang Wei and demurely curved her lips into a smile.

* * *

_1. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms IX game, Ma Yun Lu is the fictional sister of Ma Chao. However, since I've never played it, the only thing that this story's Ma Yun Lu will have in common with the ROTK IX Ma Yun Lu will be her looks and her name (I've got a link to her portrait in my profile page, if anybody's interested in taking a peek). Everything else about Ma Chao's little sister—weapon, personality, relationships with others, etc.—I'm basically making up as I go along._


	41. Chapter Forty One: Bride and Groom

**Chapter Forty-One: Bride and Groom**

_In Shu, rumors arrive of a new bride-to-be; in Wei, visits are announced of a new groom-to-be._

* * *

Outside, a cruel-eyed falcon let out its signature call, as it flapped its powerful wings and soared into the clouds.

Inside, Zhuge Liang paused briefly until the bird of prey's abrasive shriek had faded away, before continuing with his strategy session.

"We should split up our army and take two different routes to Yizhou—one by land, one by water," he suggested, adding by way of explanation, "That should make it more difficult for Liu Zhang to launch a definitive, systematic defense against us."

Liu Bei leaned back in his seat, silently absorbing his trusted tactician's words. They all made perfect sense, but then again, when had Zhuge Liang's words _not_ made perfect sense? Yet the thought of attacking somebody from his own bloodline still troubled the noble leader of Shu, so that he couldn't seem to muster a single word, only a nod.

Sensing the tension in the air, Pang Tong quickly spoke up.

"I'll take Wei Yan and Huang Zhong," the quirky little man volunteered cheerfully. "We can go by land."

"Then I will travel by river," Zhuge Liang decided. "Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei can come with me."

At last, Liu Bei spoke up.

"Leaving Guan Yu behind to guard Jingzhou," he finished softly.

A brief silence settled amongst the three men, before Zhuge Liang once again took charge and steered their attentions back to the conquest of Yizhou.

"My lord, I would prefer if you went with Shiyuan on this campaign," he began respectfully.

Liu Bei looked startled, but before he could question his head strategist's proposal, Pang Tong himself had already guessed the motive.

"It's because Huang Zhong and Wei Yan are relatively new acquisitions when compared to the brothers and Zilong, isn't it?" he spoke up. "They haven't really gone on that many campaigns in Shu's name."

"Precisely. I don't know how trustworthy they are," Zhuge Liang stated bluntly. "Particularly that Wei Yan. Barbarians are never to be trusted; this country has had more than enough invasions by the Xiong-nu and the Qiang and the Nanman to the South to prove that notion."

Liu Bei opened his mouth, ready to defend the integrity of his two newer generals. Before he could construct a coherent sentence, however, a series of low, almost hesitant knocks sounded at the doors.

"Come in," the Shu lord spoke up distractedly, half of his mind still occupied on the map of Yizhou before him.

A slender figure entered, wearing not the uniform of a courier but rather the armor of a soldier. Liu Bei had no trouble recognizing her as one of Sun Shang Xiang's bodyguards, and hastily put on his most accommodating smile. It wouldn't do him well to offend one of his wife's constant companions.

"Is something the matter?" _Now if he could just remember the girl's name…_

The bodyguard bowed briskly without smiling, before reporting, "My lord, I believe there's something you might want to hear."

Liu Bei exchanged meaningful looks with Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong. Both of his strategists nodded.

"Go on," the ruler of Shu encouraged, while carefully rolling up the maps scattered over his desk.

"I was out by the city square when I heard the local people gossiping amongst themselves about an engagement recently announced in Wei." The girl's fawn eyes turned serious, and she proceeded to reveal, "My lord, it's that spy girl, Xi _Gu Niang,_ whom General Zhao loves so much. She's to be married to one of Wei's rising young officers in six months, and Cao Cao is promoting it as if it were some sort of Imperial affair."

Liu Bei's eyebrows flew up in astonishment. _So there had been other reasons for Xi Tian's hasty flight to Xuchang,_ he mused thoughtfully to himself. An unsettling thought still nagged at him, however: why should her upcoming nuptials be of such particular interest to Wei that they'd go to all the trouble of making sure people from as far away as Jingzhou would know about the event? Unless, of course, Cao Cao had an ulterior motive…and he almost always did.

Judging by the looks on his strategists' faces, Liu Bei knew that they must've figured out that motive already. Wearily, he raised a hand to dismiss Sun Shang Xiang's guard, but before the girl had a chance to leave, Zhuge Liang instructed briefly, "Su Lin, I would prefer that General Zhao does not hear any of this, if it's at all possible."

_Su Lin! That's what her name was!_ As the girl nodded in understanding and exited the room, Liu Bei turned to his advisor with a concerned frown etched into his features.

"Is it right that we deceive Zilong like this?" he asked softly.

Zhuge Liang heaved a silent sigh, his fan a slow blur of white swan feathers in his hands.

"It isn't right at all—but it _is_ necessary," he murmured quietly. "We need Zilong to be in a clear state of mind for the hard campaign up ahead, and I'm not sure how levelheaded he can be knowing that his beloved is going to be married to another man…and so quickly, too."

A small clinking sound, as Zhuge Liang set down his fan and picked up a cup of tea. He paused with the aromatic drink held beneath his mustache, to add contemplatively, "I believe I once remarked that Xi _Gu Niang_ was too frivolous and innocent to cause much trouble inside Shu."

An ironic chuckle, as the Sleeping Dragon admitted his mistake: "Now it's beginning to look as if she'll be causing plenty of trouble while outside our kingdom."

* * *

"Ow!"

Xi Tian swiftly withdrew her hand from the rosy silk scarf on her lap, and gingerly held her index finger to her eyes. A tiny puncture mark, bright vermilion in the late morning sunlight, graced the surface of the skin. She winced and crinkled her nose in annoyance, before moving to put the finger in her mouth.

Immediately, Amah, seated across from her sulky charge, was up in arms.

"Don't you dare, Miss Xi Tian," the stout old woman warned, her own embroidery tucked primly on her knees. "No young wife has ever done something so plebeian."

Xi Tian shot her nurse an irritable frown.

"Well, I'm not even married yet," she pointed out defiantly. "And I won't be for another half-year, so I'm going to keep doing every _'plebeian'_ thing I want from now until my wedding day!"

Having made her assertion, she parted her lips and moved her pricked finger onto her tongue.

Amah's expression, surprisingly enough, softened when confronted with her charge's uncharacteristic impertinence.

"I'm sorry, Miss Xi Tian; I should have been more considerate of your feelings these past few days," she spoke up, with a touch of almost sympathy in her voice. "After all, it's only natural for a bride-to-be to feel nervous and scared."

Her tone turned teasing, as she added light-heartedly, "And just because I like both you and General Jiang so much, I'll allow you to throw these little tantrums if it will help placate your insecurities. I may be old, but I'm still your amah. I understand my little girl's touchy mood lately."

All the rebelliousness seemed to evaporate from Xi Tian when she heard those kind but miscomprehending words. Her hand slipped back to her side, and she pretended to concentrate on rearranging the embroidery on her lap.

"No, you don't understand." It was the softest of whispers—and coupled with the fact that Xi Tian's head was lowered, with stray locks of hair veiling her eyes, when she said those words—it was understandable why Amah couldn't be sure of whether she'd heard correctly nor not.

However, it wasn't too long before that formidable nurse had a new matter to occupy her attention. Yinchun's voice was soon heard, courteously announcing from the front doors, "General Jiang is here," and evoking only a faint frown from the young man's fiancée. Xi Tian tossed aside the pale pink scarf from her lap and stubbornly turned her back to the doors, crossing her arms and complaining under her breath, "Why must he come over now? Doesn't he have training or studying or anything else to do?"

Amah chuckled, as she stood up and busied herself with gathering up all the embroidery and loose needles and storing them in their appropriate places.

"You're being unfair, Miss Xi Tian," she scolded mildly. "The boy just wants to make a good impression on you."

Xi Tian made an annoyed little noise in the back of her throat, refusing to turn around or acknowledge either Yinchun or Amah's words.

"But I don't want to see him. He's boring." Her voice was bordering on a childish whine, as she searched for excuses to avoid playing hostess.

"Miss Xi Tian…" Amah rumbled in a warning tone, effectively bringing about a change of mind in her young mistress.

"Oh, all right." Xi Tian reluctantly turned around and uncrossed her arms.

"And get rid of that ridiculous spoiled pout," Amah added, hiding an amused smile. "You're not so pretty that you can get away with acting like that, or poor General Jiang will think he's been engaged to Bao Si_(1)."_

With an insulted huff, Xi Tian went to work, smoothing her stormy features and curving her mouth into an appropriately demure smile. After her task was accomplished, she batted dewy golden eyes at her nurse and asked, "Is this good enough?"

Amah nodded approvingly.

"Perfect. Now you're ready to receive General Jiang like a proper young lady," she decided.

Turning to the halls, the plucky old woman hollered, "Hurry and invite the young lord in!"

"_Ai."_ Yinchun's voice sounded slightly fainter, as presumably the handmaid scurried outside to welcome Jiang Wei into the Xi household.

Amah turned back around and surveyed the room—and its single occupant—with a critical eye. After tucking some loose strands of hair behind Xi Tian's ears and rearranging the various accessories on the dresser, the old lady finally seemed satisfied.

"I guess I'll be leaving now, Miss Xi Tian," she said, hearing the telltale sound of footsteps coming down the halls. "You don't need an ugly hen like me standing around and chaperoning your every move. Yinchun will be sufficient company."

She caught a brief glimpse of the silly face Xi Tian made at her after those words, before discreetly slipping away to the gardens outside. It would do the girl well to spend some time with her future husband, away from the ever watchful hawk eyes of etiquette-obsessed adults. In the best-case scenario, she might even fall in love with the boy, Amah thought with a smile. After all, why shouldn't she? Miss Xi Tian certainly had nobody else to steal her heart away from Jiang Wei.

* * *

_1. A lovely consort of the King of Zhou, who never smiled._


	42. Chapter Forty Two: The Gold Kylin

**Chapter Forty-Two: The Gold Kylin_(1)_**

_A mythical beast holds an unspoken promise._

* * *

A few seconds after Amah's departure, Yinchun arrived, with Jiang Wei in tow. The young man was armor-less, wearing instead a gold-embroidered coat of dark green brocade over his regular clothes. A shy smile sprang to his lips when he caught sight of the pretty girl in lotus-colored silk, seated decorously by her window.

The same pretty girl who now looked up, and returned his smile with a half-hearted one of her own. As Yinchun excused herself to go fetch some tea, Xi Tian greeted softly, "General Jiang." However, she failed to look at the trident wielder's face, and instead focused her attention on the cloth-covered object he held in his hands.

It was a medium-sized item, vaguely ovalish in shape—almost like a decorative glass egg on its tiny pedestal. Distressed that she couldn't identify the mysterious present, Xi Tian found herself completely missing Jiang Wei's how-do-you-do's as she tried instead to guess what it was that he had brought.

When she at last sensed that a perfunctory response from her would be required, she wasted no time prattling on cue, "Oh, how wonderful you are," before returning to her secret quest.

Jiang Wei blinked. _Oh, how wonderful you are?_ Well, that was certainly a…_unique_ answer to his simple question of, "How are you this morning?"

Just as Jiang Wei began to wonder whether his future wife was kidding around with him, and Xi Tian herself started to realize that her automatic reply may not have been entirely appropriate, Yinchun appeared to salvage the situation.

The sweet-faced handmaid returned to the room, carefully balancing a tea tray with two china cups. After she set her load down on a delicate sandalwood pedestal, she glanced over in her guest's direction and suggested politely, "Why don't you sit down, General?"

Xi Tian picked up where her attendant left off, rising slightly from her seat and chiming in, "Of course; what a terrible hostess I've been! General Jiang—_qing(2)."_

And she deliberately pointed to the most uncomfortable seat in her room—an antique bronze stool dating all the way back to the long-gone and short-lived Qin Dynasty. The pleasantly innocent smile on her face should be enough to mask her true intentions, she decided.

But Jiang Wei, unfortunately, happened to be one of the smarter men that Xi Tian would meet in her life. That boyish façade hid a quietly keen mind, and its owner had little trouble deducing from a single look that the chair he'd been invited to sit on was not going to do any favors to his body. Jiang Wei hesitated, glancing around at all the other seats in the room and sending an uncertain look at both mistress and maid.

Kind-hearted Yinchun smiled, as she crossed the room to stand behind an overstuffed chair beside the one her mistress was reclining on. Before she could invite Jiang Wei to sit there instead, however, Xi Tian's voice rang out in a teasing giggle: "General Jiang, don't tell me you're afraid of a poor little bronze stool?"

Jiang Wei blushed, and looked over in the other girl's direction, as Xi Tian added with a flirtatious bat of her lashes, "It was said that the First Emperor himself once sat upon it. I thought it only fitting that a gallant warrior such as yourself should occupy such an important chair."

What else could Jiang Wei do?

"Then, I will be honored to comply with your wish, Xi _Gu Niang."_ He arched his lips into what he hoped looked more like a smile than an uncertain grimace, and obediently sat down on the Qin-era antique…

"Ow!"

…Only to hop off less than a second later.

Jiang Wei leapt up like a bolt of lightning, red-faced and wide-eyed. It took every ounce of self-control he had to _not_ lace his hands around his bottom and rub painfully at the sore area, and he was forced to instead hover awkwardly above that demonic bronze stool. Xi Tian wasn't exactly making things easy for him; those roguish peals of laughter, slightly muffled behind their owner's rosy handkerchief, only made Jiang Wei's embarrassment that much more acute. Even Yinchun couldn't help but lower her head to hide her smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, General Jiang," Xi Tian sang out from behind her handkerchief, sounding too merry to truly be sorry. "Amah was teaching me how to embroider before your arrival, and she must have missed a needle or two when she was putting the materials away."

Jiang Wei winced, but did his best to take her too-late revelation in stride.

"That's all right," he said graciously. "I probably should have looked before I sat down anyway; I can hardly fault an elder for my own carelessness."

Xi Tian continued smiling innocently at him with lash-veiled eyes, not saying a word but not bothering to mask the amusement on her face, either. At last, Yinchun was compassionate enough to walk over to the clearly humiliated Jiang Wei and lead him to the original seat she'd invited him to sit on. For appearances' sake, the handmaid pulled out her own handkerchief and efficiently dusted it across the chair's surface, before stepping back and encouraging, "Please, General Jiang—_qing."_

Jiang Wei shot a brief glance at Xi Tian as if seeking her approval, and only when the mischievous girl nodded coyly did he finally sit down as instructed. No pricking needles awaited him this time, and the visibly relieved Jiang Wei took a few seconds to settle himself into a comfortable position before sheepishly repeating his greeting: "Ah…how are you this morning, Xi _Gu Niang?"_

"All right. A bit bored, I'll admit." The last part was uttered with a semi-meaningful tilt of one eyebrow; she was obviously not going to make this visit easy on him in the least bit.

"Oh. I…I see," Jiang Wei mumbled in a tiny voice, trying his hardest to stop fidgeting under her indifferent gaze.

"So what special occasion brings the Great General to come visit a silly little girl like me?" Xi Tian pouted convincingly, inwardly wondering what she had to do to send him running out of her room within the shortest amount of time.

Unfortunately, that last question was obviously not the way to go about accomplishing her goal. Jiang Wei's eyes lit up in a boyish smile, as he brought up the cloth-covered object he'd been carrying and set it on the little table between himself and Xi Tian.

"I was passing through the market just now, when I saw something that I thought you might like," he explained, and despite her earlier reservations, Xi Tian found herself inching closer to him, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Really? What is it?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Jiang Wei grinned, before whipping off the draping cloth with a flourish and revealing a well-polished copper cage. Perched inside was a fluffy green-and-gold parrot, a splash of showy crimson adorning its throat.

"Oh, it's so tiny…but how adorable!" Xi Tian couldn't help but coo, bending her face as close to the bird as she could without intruding on the little animal.

"I haven't thought of a name yet; perhaps you would like to do the honors?" Jiang Wei stammered bashfully, his cheeks flushing the same shade of red as the feathers around his present's neck when Xi Tian, in her efforts to befriend the parrot, unwittingly inched closer to the bird's owner in the process.

"Does it do anything?" she asked, only to have her question answered a second later when the parrot chirped, "Xi _Gu Niang_…pretty…Pretty Xi _Gu Niang."_

Xi Tian's eyes lit up with a delighted smile, and Jiang Wei found himself loosening up enough to comment shyly, "Well, at least it's more honest than the vendor I bought it from."

His compliment caused its receiver to pinken slightly, but before she could say anything, the still-unnamed parrot promptly ruined the moment by piping up, "Lin _Gu Niang_…also pretty…"

Jiang Wei paled, as Xi Tian's eyes narrowed and she turned around to face him with a viperous smirk gracing her lips.

"It's nothing!" the green-clad warrior spoke up nervously, before his future bride could ask any questions. "I just got the bird this morning…he wouldn't know anything…"

Going by the look on Xi Tian's face, it was obvious that Jiang Wei had just incriminated himself further with the second part of his statement. It didn't help that his parrot insisted on trilling, "Xi _Gu Niang_ pretty…Lin _Gu Niang_ prettier…"

Xi Tian frowned, and moved to stand before Jiang Wei.

"Lin _Gu Niang,_ huh?" she demanded threateningly.

Jiang Wei hesitantly peeked up, while the stupid bird kept tweeting, "Lin _Gu Niang_ pretty…Lin _Gu Niang_ smart…"

"There's no—" Before Jiang Wei could continue, Xi Tian already had him by the ear and was energetically yanking him up from his seat.

"So who is this mysterious Lin beauty?" For such a harmless-looking girl, she certainly had a lot of strength in that arm of hers.

Jiang Wei winced, protesting, "There's no Lin _Gu Niang_—Ow!"

Xi Tian twisted on his poor defenseless ear, until finally, the boy conceded, "She's a handmaid in our household! She picked out the parrot in the market, and the bird must have formed a bond with her or something!"

"I'm not so sure that the bird was the only one to have formed a bond with her." Xi Tian wrinkled her nose at him in the most infuriating manner she knew.

"Xi _Gu Niang,_ you have to believe me," Jiang Wei pleaded.

"Miss Xi Tian…" Yinchun's voice drifted off, as she tried to put in a good word for the young man.

"Wait—the parrot does other tricks too. Let me show you." Feeling Xi Tian's hands relax slightly emboldened Jiang Wei enough to tentatively wriggle his ear free from her grasp.

The youth stood up and tripped over to his copper cage, scrabbling around and searching for the latch that opened its tiny door. Finally finding it, he turned around to face Xi Tian once more as he prepared to win her back. That is, if he'd ever won her affections in the first place. She didn't exactly seem to be warming up to his clumsy charms. Jiang Wei kicked that troubling thought out of his head, and instead put on his most winning smile.

"Just watch," he insisted, the tips of his ears burning bright red as his very much alive present continued singing the praises of that mysterious "Lin _Gu Niang."_

With fingers made gawky by his nervousness, the young warrior hastily unlatched the cage's wire door.

"It can do a hundred tricks," he repeated for what felt like the fourth or fifth time, as he carefully took the parrot out of its enclosure and let it rest on his hand.

Three things occurred next.

Firelight called out from the front doors, "Lady Dowager Jiang is here!"

Xi Tian and Jiang Wei both turned in the direction of her voice.

The parrot on Jiang Wei's hand squawked once, before flapping its wings…and promptly fluttering out the window, still going on about Lin _Gu Niang_ and dropping a couple of tiny emerald feathers here and there.

"Hn! It can do a hundred tricks, can it?" Xi Tian placed one hand on her hips and lifted an eyebrow in annoyance.

Jiang Wei almost squeaked audibly when he heard the mixture of mockery and contempt in her voice, but before he could defend himself, his long-suffering ear was back in her vise-like grip. This time, she twisted so hard that Jiang Wei's face flared scarlet, while he winced and desperately tried to construct coherent apologies in his head.

"Or perhaps it's just flown off to serenade your precious Lin _Gu Niang?"_ Xi Tian suggested, smiling so sweetly that both of them nearly went on sugar overload.

Fortunately for Jiang Wei, Firelight entered the room before he would be forced to answer that particular question. Unfortunately for the young man, however, his mother also appeared in the doorway not long after. Mother Jiang took one look at the incriminating green feathers and empty copper cage, then at her poor son, cringing in pain while his future wife yanked on his ear as if it were a bowstring, and immediately crossed her arms in disapproval.

"Wei Er, what have you done now?" the middle-aged woman clucked, shaking her head in almost tangible exasperation.

Xi Tian let go of the boy's ear when she heard his mother speak up, and Jiang Wei gratefully sprang up to a less pathetic position.

"Lady Dowager…I'm so sorry you had to see us like this—" Xi Tian started to apologize, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment at being caught in the middle of such a childish act.

Mother Jiang dismissed her with a kind smile and a reassuring, "Don't worry about anything, dear," before swinging around to direct her wrath at her son instead.

"I trusted you with our family heirloom, Wei Er, and you gave the poor girl some cheap bird instead?" she chided, as Jiang Wei reddened under his mother's onslaught of reprimands and baby names.

"I wanted to give Xi _Gu Niang_ something more lively than jewelry," he mumbled. "Something she might enjoy."

Mother Jiang's face softened; she could never stay angry at her only son for long.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Wei Er. But next time, you might want to keep caged birds _inside_ their cages if you want to bestow them to Xi _Gu Niang,"_ she laughed lightly. "Now, are you going to give her the real present, or do you also have a gift rabbit hidden beneath your coat that you want to try to impress her with?"

Jiang Wei blushed, but obediently stumbled over to Xi Tian and took from his pocket a small object wrapped in layers of varicolored handkerchiefs.

"This has been in my family for generations," he began in a soft voice, gently unfolding the delicate pieces of silk to reveal a gold kylin pendant on a slender chain. "I was hoping you would accept it as an…as an engagement present."

With her future husband, her future mother-in-law, and both her current handmaids all watching (and with Amah more likely than not secretly peering in from the garden!), how could Xi Tian tactfully decline?

"It's beautiful," she whispered, as she obediently dipped her head and allowed Jiang Wei to put the necklace on her.

His timid hands accidentally grazed against the soft skin of her neck, and when he reddened and hastily tried to pull back, he only wound up tangling them in her hair. Under all the watchful eyes, Xi Tian curved her lips into an indulgent half-smile, before reaching up and freeing Jiang Wei's hand from the dangers of her raven locks.

"How do I look?" She forced a high-spirited edge into her voice, as she stepped back to show off the gold kylin, now firmly clasped around her neck.

"Like the most divine young bride-to-be under the Heavens," Mother Jiang beamed, reaching forward and engulfing the girl in a happy hug. "Now everyone who sees it will know that you'll soon be a part of our family."

_Yes,_ Xi Tian agreed in silence. _And they'll also know that now I belong to Jiang Wei until I die._

* * *

_1. A mythical creature, often called the Chinese unicorn. It had a vaguely deer-like body, with behooved legs and a single horn on its head, and was often depicted with flames surrounding its body. The kylin was said to be a peaceful creature, and its appearance was often interpreted as a good omen. Also known as qilin._

_2. An expression used when inviting someone to do something (in Jiang Wei's case, to sit down)._


	43. Chapter Forty Three: The Paper Phoenix

**Chapter Forty-Three: The Paper Phoenix**

_A legendary creature reveals an unexpected union._

* * *

The streets of Jingzhou City were as busy—and as noisy—as ever.

Zhao Yun stepped onto the hot pavement and slowly made his way through the crowd, taking in the various sights and sounds in observant silence. Tomorrow, he would have to set out for the rigorous Yizhou campaign, but today, he was free to acquaint himself with the place that had been Xi Tian's home for the first seventeen years of her life.

Shops lined the bustling sidewalks, proudly displaying their colorful bolts of silk, their excellent teak and sandalwood furniture, their enticingly aromatic sweets and baked pastries. Overzealous vendors, flashing phony white smiles which stood at stark contrast against their darkly suntanned faces, loudly shouted out bargains and sales pitches.

In one corner of the city square, a troupe of tiny prepubescent acrobats were performing a series of stunts using only wooden poles and clay plates of differing sizes, while an increasing group of spectators _ooh'ed_ and _aah'ed_ at their impressive feats of skill and agility. Directly across from the child act stood a trio of musicians; a dueting middle-aged man and a woman bounced bawdy lyrics back and forth between them, while a third member churned out a simple melody on his lute.

Zhao Yun slowly wandered down the streets, a little impressed by all the vigor and buzzing activity, a little curious as to whether the obviously sheltered Xi Tian had really grown up in such a spirited city. A rough thump against his legs jerked the silver-armored warrior out of his faraway thoughts, and when he glanced down to find out what had happened, he managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of a few raggedy street urchins. The gangly figures hurriedly circled around the obstacle that was his body, before racing off at a speed that could have made even Red Hare envious. The youngest of the group was clutching at his forehead as he zoomed off—a testament to the force with which he must have bumped against the Little Dragon's knees.

Instinctively, Zhao Yun brought a hand to pat the pocket where he kept his money. The taels of silver, neatly strung up on their yellow hemp cord, jingled satisfyingly. Not that Zhao Yun would have worried too much to find them gone. Those poor ragamuffins probably needed whatever silver or copper they could get their little hands on a thousand times more than he himself ever would.

However, the concern that Zhao Yun felt for the little delinquents settled into the background when he stumbled across a crying girl of about five or six. She was a chubby, rosy-cheeked child, and judging by the clothes that she wore, Zhao Yun had no trouble guessing that she was a young handmaid-in-training for one of the wealthier families in Jingzhou City. Her tears were not the tantrum-inspired ones commonly found on children of her age and social rank, and the look of sheer terror in her eyes tugged at Zhao Yun's heartstrings and compelled him to kneel down to better match her height as he asked soothingly, "Can I help you, Little Miss? Are you lost?"

The girl dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve and shook her head, wailing in despair, "No, but I'd rather be lost than go back! My lady is going to scratch my face off when she finds out that I lost all the money she gave me!"

A concerned look came over Zhao Yun's eyes, and he scooped the child up and brought her to the least-crowded section of the city square so that they might talk in peace.

"Who is your mistress? What happened to the money that she gave you?" he asked gently.

The little girl sniffled, but, taught to obey an adult's every whim and command since birth, dutifully replied, "My lady is the famous beauty Miss Chang Qing Lian, daughter of our Governor Chang Fu."

_Another governor's daughter_.

And not just any governor. Zhao Yun's breath caught in his throat, as he realized that Lord Chang must be the successor to the governorship of the same city Xi Tian's family had helmed for generations. But the unfortunate little maid was continuing.

"I'm Si Er_(1)._ I was supposed to be Qing _Gu Niang's_ personal attendant when I grew up—but now I'll be lucky if they don't sell me off." The poor little servant rubbed at her watery eyes until they were red and swollen, and Zhao Yun gently pried her fingers away as he set his personal pain aside to attend to the child's instead.

"Why's that, Si Er?" he asked in his most comforting voice.

"My mistress has always been of delicate health, and she takes special pills to alleviate her pains and sufferings," Si Er sniffed. "It was my job to buy them from the Shen family's shop today, but a group of dreadful boys stole all the money Qing _Gu Niang_ gave me!"

_Those urchins who'd bumped against his leg!_ Now Zhao Yun realized why they had been in such a hurry, and felt some sympathy dissipate. But he swallowed these feelings, and instead helped the disconsolate Si Er up. In his most cheerful voice, Zhao Yun encouraged, "Then why don't you let me help you? It just happens that I have some money on me right now, and I'll be happy to pay for all the medicine that Qing _Gu Niang_ needs."

He was prepared for any number of polite refusals and protestations, but discovered to his pleasant surprise that Si Er had yet to reach that age where children begin to learn about keeping up genteel pretenses. The little girl's eyes lit up with grateful adoration, as she clutched at Zhao Yun's hand and sang out in her happiness, "You'll do that for me? Really? You're the nicest and most wonderful person I've ever met!"

Zhao Yun smiled modestly at her enthusiastic praise, swinging the child up and letting her sit on his shoulders.

"Now why don't you be my eyes, and lead us to this store that sells Qing _Gu Niang's_ medicine?" he suggested lightly, adjusting his passenger's weight so that it was distributed more evenly across his back and neck.

Si Er was more than happy to comply, and together the unlikely pair wove in and out of the crowds. Zhao Yun heard more than a few titters and smart comments from his fellow citizens, and once or twice frowned when he caught a particularly sardonic gossip muttering to her friend, "Looks like the dashing General Zhao has finally settled down and started a family!"

Eventually, he learned to let their remarks sift into the background, and it wasn't long before Si Er had directed him to a reasonably-sized two-story medicine shop. The child began wriggling around, impatient to hop off and run inside, so Zhao Yun obligingly set her down and watched her scramble toward her destination.

"Madam Shen, we're here," little Si Er announced loudly, as she tottered into the wooden building with Zhao Yun following a couple of paces behind.

The sixteen-year-old girl behind the counter who glanced up and smiled upon her customers was certainly not old enough to warrant the title of "Madam." Si Er looked confused for a second, before shrugging off her surprise and beaming in apparent acceptance of the substitute.

"Oh, it's you, Miss Ah-Mei," she chirped out a greeting.

Between the various wives and sisters-in-law of the sprawling Shen family were eight daughters, all named after flowers of some sort. Among them, Ah-Mei was without a doubt the most beautiful. She obviously had this particular honor in mind when she went to welcome Zhao Yun, for she fluttered her dramatic eyelashes and put on her prettiest smile, successfully inveigling a blush out of the handsome Tiger General.

"Si Er, you little imp—you never told me you'd brought such a distinguished escort," Ah-Mei cooed teasingly, adding a coy wink and a giggle for maximum effect.

The Chang household's miniature servant was obviously far too young to understand the flirtatious undertones of her statement, but Zhao Yun wasn't held back by such age limits, and quickly averted his eyes. Ah-Mei frowned, and bit down on her lower lip. This wasn't the reaction she'd been anticipating…

As if to make matters that much worse, an all too familiar voice hollered from the back room, "Ah-Mei, if you're just wasting time out there, you can hurry back and help your sisters shelf all the pills!"

Moments later, the buxom, imposing figure of a woman in her early fifties emerged and took her rightful place behind the counter. Si Er perked up upon recognizing her, and called out cheerfully, "Madam Shen, you're here after all!"

The greeting was duly returned, although much of the cheery tone wasn't. Madam Shen shot an annoyed glare at her daughter, snapping impatiently, "Well? Stop chasing after every man who walks in here and go help your sisters in the back!"

Ah-Mei at least had the grace to pinken at her mother's blunt words, but that didn't stop her from sending Zhao Yun one last secret smile as she scurried toward the back room. Only until after the girl had left did Madam Shen turn around to face her customers. She must have caught the look in Zhao Yun's eyes, for she immediately spoke up as if by means of explanation, "I'm terribly sorry you had to sit through that, General, but somebody must keep the foolish chit's vanity in check. I hope my daughter didn't offend you; she can be a bit open with her affections."

Zhao Yun blushed under the woman's frank words, trying and barely succeeding in dredging up a faint smile, but it was the child beside him who cleared away all remaining traces of awkwardness in the air.

"Madam Shen, do you remember me?" Si Er bubbled happily.

The loudmouthed woman shot a brief smile at the chubby-cheeked, downy-haired figure who hardly came up to her tall companion's knees.

"Of course I do, little one!" she laughed heartily. "My own Si Er has been asking for you. Why don't you go look for him and let us adults take care of boring grown-up business?"

"Oh…" Si Er looked torn. She clearly wanted to go play with her best friend, but she also had an errand to run for her mistress, and Qing _Gu Niang's_ teary tantrums were infamous amongst the House of Chang's handmaids.

Zhao Yun gently patted the little girl on the back.

"It's all right, Si Er. I'll buy the medicine for you, and you can go find your friend," he encouraged with a smile.

Still, Si Er hesitated for a while. In the end, however, she did what most carefree six-year-olds would have done, and happily skipped off in search of the Shen family's fourth grandson.

"Remember," she sang out over her shoulder, "Qing _Gu Niang_ takes—"

"White Lotus Pills, I know," Madam Shen finished for her.

The child was already out the door by the time the shopkeeper had finished speaking.

Zhao Yun slowly turned in Madam Shen's direction, echoing in a soft voice, "White Lotus Pills? You know by heart the name of the medicine that Qing _Gu Niang_ takes?"

The robust middle-aged woman snorted a booming laugh, as she scooped up a dozen perfect white tablets and dumped them onto a large sheet of rice paper.

"You mean our governor's precious daughter, Miss Chang Qing Lian? Hah! I think I know every single one of her ten thousand little aches and pains," she spoke with just a tinge of derision as she worked. "Pampered rich ladies like her have nothing to do with all their excess time and money, so they spend their days posing delicately and cooking up hundreds of imaginary illnesses!"

Having finished with packing the desired pills, she placed them inside a silk-lined box which gave off a pungent herbal aroma.

"The truth is," she confided, wisely lowering her voice to a modest ten decibels in case any rich people strolling nearby happened to overhear, "these dainty women are simply looking for trouble, because it's the only excitement in their cloistered lives. Any little cough or cramp immediately becomes a devastating illness that must be treated with a hundred ludicrous pills and potions."

Zhao Yun nodded politely and tried to look as if he were actually paying attention to the woman's ramblings, but Madam Shen needed no encouragement to keep talking. She was on a roll, and she was determined to chatter on until either she finally ran out of breath or the fearless warrior before her fled from her store screaming for his sanity back.

"It's ridiculous, I tell you! I couldn't sell these wealthy aristocrats real medicine—medicine without fancy names or pretty fragrances—if I tried!" she declared.

"Is that so?" Zhao Yun almost succeeded in looking enthralled by her revelation, as he took out the appropriate amount of silver and placed it on the counter.

Madam Shen nodded in brief—far too brief—silence, as she expertly counted the taels before smiling in satisfaction and sliding forward the box of medicine for Si Er's picky mistress.

"Let me tell you, General, I've run this shop for the past twenty years, and not once have I come across a noblewoman interested in anything _not_ named after flowers or heavenly essences!" she trumpeted.

Zhao Yun was prepared to leave, a respectful excuse already at the tip of his tongue, when something the storeowner had said caught his attention. Striding closer to the counter, he leaned slightly forward and asked in what he hoped was a casual voice, "Twenty years? Would you happen to know this city's previous governor, then…?"

"Lord Xi Wen Qing?" Madam Shen jumped at the bait almost instantly. "I sure did! His daughter was especially fond of my Sweet Chrysanthemum Tablets."

"Really?" Zhao Yun blinked in surprise. Xi Tian hardly struck him as the type of girl who'd willingly try any medicine, no matter how florid its name was…

"Absolutely," Madam Shen confirmed. "Such a pale and beautiful girl…but so fragile and sickly! Every season she had a new illness—autumn coughs, summer fevers, winter chills, spring faints—and I could tell that for once, those were genuine afflictions, not something made up to look delicate and pampered."

Zhao Yun's eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead upon hearing the woman's claims. _Fragile? Sickly? Constant, seasonal illnesses? _That certainly didn't sound like the Xi Tian he knew…

"Poor girl, she was destined for a wretched existence in this lifetime," Madam Shen went on mournfully. "I felt so bad for her when I heard that she'd taken her own life less than a year after her marriage to one of the sons of the Marquis of Qi. That's one of the reasons that drove her family into seclusion, you know."

Now Zhao Yun knew for sure that she couldn't be talking about Xi Tian…and then he remembered the other paintings on the walls of Refuge Park. Of course! Lord Xi had once had four daughters.

Feeling like a mighty fool, Zhao Yun gently prodded the middle-aged medicine woman, "But Lord Xi had more than one daughter, didn't he? What about…what about the third girl?"

Madam Shen beamed.

"Tian Tian!" she blurted out the girl's pet name. "Never had an illness her entire life…or if she ever did, she was too careless to notice any symptoms. Her amah always worried that the little chit was too healthy to be ladylike!"

Acutely aware that he knew virtually nothing of Xi Tian's childhood, Zhao Yun asked carefully, "How was she like?"

Happily, Madam Shen was only too delighted to have a listening ear for once, and didn't stop to think about the proprieties of sharing gossip with a stranger.

"Oh, she was the most charming girl I'd ever met. A bit loud and frivolous perhaps, but Heaven's own daughters couldn't have been sweeter," the woman nattered on. "She once told my own Ah-Mei that she would one day find a gentleman who would love her like the Xiang River consorts loved their emperors—you've heard the legend, haven't you, General?—and that man was going to be the man she married. In fact, I recently heard that she got en—"

But Madam Shen never got the chance to finish her sentence, nor notice the myriad of expressions fighting for control of her customer's eyes. A loud cry rang out from the back room, before a boy and a girl—the two Si Ers—fought their way out, bickering and grabbing for a worthless cardboard trinket. Madam Shen irritably tore herself away from her gossip to holler at the bawling children, and for several painful seconds, the noise level in the room was nothing short of deafening.

"_ENOUGH!"_ Finally, a mighty roar from the redoubtable shopkeeper stunned everybody into silence.

Zhao Yun's ears were still ringing when one of the Si Ers—the little boy—tried to explain himself to his grandmother.

"We were just playing a wedding game," he sniffed. "I was the groom and I was supposed to be like that Jiang general and we were going to have a wedding just like his because everybody's talking about what a great wedding ceremony he's going to have and Si_ Mei Mei(2)_ was supposed to be the bride and—"

"And Si _Ge Ge(3)_ wouldn't let me wear the phoenix crown!" Here, the girl Si Er broke in, pointing at the fiercely contended object. "Even though we were going to have a wedding just like the one General Jiang Wei and Miss Xi Tian are going to have in the North and everybody says Miss Xi Tian's going to get to wear a phoenix crown and it's not fair and—"

"Hush!" Madam Shen snapped irritably. "How many times do I have to tell you little idiots to stop paying attention to street gossip? And now look at what you've done; you've annoyed our venerable customer!"

But the suddenly pale Zhao Yun, wearing a wide-eyed expression that made him look as if he'd just had the wind knocked out of him, was obviously too preoccupied with bigger matters to feel any annoyance toward a petty children's squabble.

* * *

_1. "Si" means four, and the suffix "Er" means child or young one. Si Er is not only a name, but it also tells the little girl's social rank in her household—she is the fourth child of her family._

_2. Younger sister. Used here not to show actual relation, but rather, seniority—in other words, the boy Si Er is considered older than the girl Si Er._

_3. Elder brother. Used in the same manner as No. 3._

A/N: That's it for now . Chapter 42 review talkback's over at Way of Musou as usual. Link's in my profile; I'd better go now before I get booted off for taking up too much bandwidth "answering" reviews!


	44. Chapter Forty Four: The Stallion and

Shokyo: I'm still replying to reviews . They're just on a different site now; check my profile for the link.

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Four: The Stallion and the Cuckoo Birds**

_One good deed deserves another._

* * *

Flirtatious giggles. Teasing hands. Heart-shaped lips curved into carmine pouts of affected sulkiness.

"Go ahead, General, try this."

"No, try this first."

"Come on, you know you should taste mine before you taste hers."

"General, I'm going to be very unhappy if you ignore me in favor of my sister."

More cooing, dimples, and little mewing noises of feigned displeasure. Warm plum spirits were poured, playful hands tickled at silk-covered flesh, delicate fingers traced sensual patterns over whatever bit of exposed skin that they encountered.

Amidst this scene of seeming decadence sat Ma Chao, a little unhappy, a little confused, and plenty impatient. Before him was a low teakwood table laid out with an evening meal, at his sides were two maidens as identical as a pair of peach blossoms from the same tree, and just as lovely.

"General Ma, try mine first," the girl to his left purred, while trying to stuff a piece of chicken into his closed mouth.

"No General Ma, try _mine_ first," the girl to his right pouted competitively, attempting to drill some fish between his teeth.

There weren't many men in China who wouldn't enjoy this kind of fawning attention from two lovely sixteen-year-old twins, and even Ma Chao himself might not have objected too fiercely to said twins' adoration…had they chosen a more appropriate time and place to play their little dinner table games. As it was, camped at Jiameng Pass, with an upcoming Shu invasion looming in the horizon, certainly did not make for a winning combination to put Ma Chao in an indulgent mood.

Distracted with thoughts of battles and marching and armies swarming over from the Southeast, Ma Chao failed to realize that he'd just presented the perfect opportunity for the twins to feed their shared prize. In a single movement, they had pounced on him with mewls and squeals of delighted laughter. Ma Chao—the gallant and splendid Horse General—almost gagged on a huge mouthful of assorted poultry and seafood, as beside him, the twins giggled in triumph and clung even tighter onto his biceps.

_So these were the consequences of being a hero,_ Ma Chao thought dryly to himself as he swallowed the food. He shifted slightly in the two girls' possessive grip, before making a silent note to never play hero again.

Or at least not to a village with eager unwed daughters prancing about.

* * *

**_Three Days Earlier…_**

"Shan Lin Village." Ma Dai craned his neck upwards as he read the faded name painted on a wooden tablet swinging by the tiny settlement's entrance. "Hmm, nice little village name."

"But where are the nice little villagers?" Ma Yun Lu pointed out, turning her face in the direction of what appeared to be the village square. "This place looks empty."

Ma Chao ignored his relatives' comments, and instead swept a scanning look of the seemingly deserted place. As per Zhang Lu's orders, he was currently leading an army of twenty thousand soldiers—if the hastily conscripted peasants could even be called that—to hold down the key stronghold that was Jiameng Pass. After days of exhausting, non-stop marching, he had discovered this cozy little mountain settlement and was hoping to lead his men inside so that they might rest for an evening.

But Shan Lin Village, as his sister had so aptly pointed out, appeared to have long been abandoned by its residents.

"Doesn't matter," Ma Chao frowned to himself, before spurring his horse into a slow trot and edging cautiously past the village gates.

After exchanging brief looks, the two younger Mas duly followed inside, and it wasn't too long before the entire Hanzhong army had filed efficiently into the weather-beaten hamlet.

Past empty dirt streets and lifeless alleys, closed shops devoid of any visible merchandise, little thatched-roof houses showing locked doors and dusty windows firmly barred by planks of wood…but no traces whatsoever of the people that must have once lived here. From atop her mare, Ma Yun Lu frowned impatiently and started to holler at her brother, "We're wasting time here; it's obvious this place is deserted! Can't blame them; I don't think I'd want to live in this old dump, either—Ow!"

Her kinsmen, who'd been pointedly ignoring her words up until that rather unexpected yelp of pain, now turned around. Ma Yun Lu was scowling and holding her temple. Already, a good-sized bruise was beginning to form, discoloring the skin to an unflattering plum-red shade. A small pebble lied innocently on the arid ground by her mare's behooved feet.

"Hey," Ma Chao turned his own horse around and began to ride back to his sister, "are you all right?"

Ma Yun Lu failed to respond, too preoccupied with searching out the culprit to bother gracing her brother with a perfunctory reassurance. Her angry efforts soon proved to be a waste, however, when said culprit boldly stepped out from behind the alley-side wheelbarrow where he'd been hiding. He was but a small child, no older than eight and rather short for his age, with a shock of black hair sticking up from his head. Yet despite his scruffy appearance, he wore his sun-bleached rags with pride…and held up his worn slingshot with even greater esteem.

"Get out of our village, you scum!" the tiny ruffian shrieked defiantly, waving his slingshot at Ma Yun Lu as if that sad little scrap of leather were a match against her spear. "We don't want no more of your army-men!"

Ma Yun Lu's eyebrows twitched dangerously, as she yelled back through her teeth, "Army-_men?_ You thought I was a _man!"_

The little boy responded by shooting another pebble at her, but she was ready this time and easily deflected it with a flick of her armored wrist.

"You rotten little brat; how dare you…!" Ma Yun Lu hissed, her nostrils flaring with fury as she kicked her mare and the pair took off in pursuit of the fleeing child.

"_Mei Zi(1)!"_ Ma Chao called out after his rampaging sister, trying to mask the amusement in his voice as he prepared to ride after the infuriated girl.

Thankfully, before he would be forced to intervene in any bloodbaths, a grizzled, salt-and-pepper-haired man in his late seventies came stumbling out, dragging the little slingshot marvel with him. The village elder promptly prostrated himself before Ma Yun Lu, forcing her to almost break her mare's neck as she hastily reined in the beast before it could trample down the human obstacles kowtowing on its path.

"What is the meaning of this?" By then, Ma Chao and the rest of his troops had caught up, inspiring Ma Yun Lu to turn her head away and make a brief _Great!_ face.

The old man didn't lift his head from the ground, choosing to maintain his deferential position as he answered in a cracked voice, "Great General, my grandson doesn't know what he is doing. Please forgive his impudence."

Ma Yun Lu snorted at his understatement of what the boy had done to her, but her brother and cousin were in a decidedly more forgiving mood.

"We thought this village was deserted," Ma Dai spoke up gently as he rode forward. "What is going on here?"

* * *

"You just had to ask, didn't you?" Ma Yun Lu hissed accusingly at her cousin, as they both sat like carefully arranged statues on a granite bench and froze in the cold wind together.

Nightfall had descended over Shan Lin Village like an ominous storm cloud, bringing with it playful shadows, chirping cicadas, and flickering silver beams of pale moonlight. While the residents of the very much inhabited settlement crouched anxiously behind locked doors and snuffed-out candles, the two younger members of the Ma Clan were finding themselves deposited rather unceremoniously in the open. The way they'd been positioned, a garish "COME AND GET US!" sign might as well have been hanging across their foreheads…but then again, the mastermind behind this ambush—in which they were currently participating as live bait—had never been known for his subtlety.

Earlier in the afternoon, the village elder they'd confronted—whose name turned out to be Ke _Gong Gong(2),_ and whose house happened to be the most affluent one, relatively speaking, in Shan Lin—had graciously allowed the Hanzhong army to settle in with the families of the village. Ma Chao and his relatives, as commanding officers, had been bestowed with the honor of taking up residence with the Kes themselves. Over cups of strongly-brewed tea, the family patriarch had gradually explained the reason behind his village's seeming abandonment.

"Shan Lin has always been a peaceful place," the old man began with a faint smile. "We've weathered our share of small troubles, of course, but the gods have been kind enough to protect us against true calamities. Until now."

His smile turned bitter, as he clutched at his teacup with gnarled, trembling fingers, before finally disclosing the reason for Shan Lin Village's deathly still atmosphere.

"For the past six months, we've been under siege by an army," he revealed sorrowfully. "Yellow Turbans. Or at least the tattered remains of what used to be the Yellow Turban troops. One of Zhang Jiao's old lieutenants now acts as commander, and he plans to use our village as his headquarters until he can raise enough men to stage another rebellion."

Ma Chao had scowled upon learning the source of the village's distress, setting down his own teacup with a bang just as he was about to take a sip. What followed next was an exchange between the two men in which the younger threatened bodily harm to Zhang Lu upon learning that his new lord had refused to send help, deeming Shan Lin Village too poor a settlement to waste his precious troops on, and the elder mournfully revealed that his home was a lost cause, anyway: on a personal level, the coarse army leader was demanding the Ke house's lovely sixteen-year-old twin daughters, Xiu Juan and Miao Juan, for his private entertainment. On a larger scale, the Yellow Turbans were planning to confiscate all of Shan Lin's crops for its own consumption, leaving the civilians to starve in the face of the upcoming winter.

One as dedicated to justice as Ma Chao naturally couldn't be expected to follow in his superior's example, and let an entire village get wiped out. Before he could announce that he was going to take a night away from his march to Jiameng Pass and rid Shan Lin of its yellow-turbaned plague, Ma Dai and Ma Yun Lu—the two people who knew him best—had already begun the necessary preparations to lay an ambush.

What the duo _hadn't_ anticipated, however, was Ma Chao's need for live bait in order to ensure that the Yellow Turbans would show up that night.

And what better bait than the lovely twin girls—Xiu Juan and Miao Juan—who'd been personally selected to serve the enemy leader?

Earlier in the day, Ke _Gong Gong_ had brought out his granddaughters to kowtow before Ma Chao—already hailed as their and their village's savior—and the young Horse General had immediately seen that the twins' delicate beauty would be hard to replicate with decoys. But the girls themselves couldn't be risked on a battlefield where stray arrows could easily rip away their lives, and in the end, Ma Chao had been forced to compromise.

So had, for that matter, the two people he trusted the most. Which was how his sister and cousin found themselves placed on a stone bench beneath a canopy of filmy willow branches at precisely midnight of that same day.

Ma Dai and Ma Yun Lu were currently shivering in the biting wind, exchanging not-so-flattering quips about their commanding officer and occasionally making a half-hearted attempt to look more like a pair of demure and helpless sixteen-year-old girls. Both were stuffed into the crimson-and-gold wedding robes that the village had fashioned for the Ke twins, although it had taken some mighty cinching and binding to squeeze Ma Dai into the diminutive Xiu Juan's outfit. Ma Yun Lu had learned a valuable lesson from her unfortunate cousin's troubles, and had simply thrown on the outermost flowered robe over her regular clothes. Heavy veils of scarlet capped off the ensemble, emphasizing that the pair were ready to be presented to the Yellow Turban leader while simultaneously _de_-emphasizing the glaring fact that the two Mas looked nothing like the two Kes they were masquerading as.

"What are you complaining about?" Ma Dai now moaned in humiliation. "At least you really _are_ a girl; I'm a man and I've still got to wear a dress and makeup! My reputation's in shambles; I'll never be able to ride off into battle again and expect my opponents to see me as a viable threat! And these apples are heavy—my back's starting to ache."

Ma Yun Lu rolled her eyes at her cousin's diatribe.

"Stop whining," she drawled lazily, although she couldn't help a private snicker or two at the young man's expense.

Her laughter died in her throat when she heard the telltale thump of trotting hooves that preceded an approaching army. She could feel her cousin tense up beside her, so as discreetly as she knew how, she nudged him with her foot to signify that they should wait—for now. _Don't do anything rash. See what the enemy plans to do first. Wait for our troops to reveal themselves before rushing into battle._ Ma Chao had only drilled those instructions into both their heads about a dozen times. The man's obsession didn't stop at vengeance.

"Well, well, well. What a pretty pair of cuckoo birds we have here." The sneer that resounded in the midnight air was surprisingly close—apparently, the aforementioned enemy was standing directly in front of the two Mas on decoy duty.

Ma Yun Lu scowled in disgust, and had to fight to swallow back the heated retorts bubbling at her lips. Somehow, she managed to quell her flaring temper and keep her insults to herself and her head demurely lowered. Blinded as she was by her clumsy gold-tasseled veil, she could only hope that Ma Dai beside her was doing the same.

When a large green apple rolled out of the young man's dress and came to a stop by Ma Yun Lu's feet, she realized in dismay that her cousin had at least been keeping his head lowered—too well.

Above them, the rebel commander immediately stiffened.

"What's going on here?" the man snarled, reaching out with callused hands and hauling both "brides" to their feet. "Xiu Juan? Miao Juan?"

He started to roughly shake his captives by their collars, but before he could manage a good jerk or two, a bomb exploded deafeningly in the cool night wind. Battle drums beat out a thunderous roar, flaming torches sprang up from the mountainsides, and a thousand flags bearing the family name "Ma" soared proudly amidst the dancing orange flames.

Taking her cue, Ma Yun Lu flung off her stifling wedding veil and watched the face of her captor contort from shocked disbelief into a mask of dark rage.

"Not exactly," she answered his question with a smirk.

In a flash, her booted leg flew upwards, knocking his teeth right out of his mouth.

"That," Ma Dai winced, as a couple of bloody little souvenirs almost swiped him in the face, "was disgusting."

* * *

_Ke Gong Gong was a cunning man, for all that he pretended to be a simple country bumpkin,_ Ma Chao now decided. Not only had the village elder prodded him into wiping out the ex-Yellow Turban rogues, but he'd also taken advantage of the situation to secure a privileged future for his two granddaughters. And what better social position could the twins hope to secure for themselves than that of the illustrious General Ma's chamber wives?

After the short skirmish was over and the few surviving Yellow Turbans had fled, Ke _Gong Gong_ had come to Ma Chao and eagerly propelled him to a village-sponsored banquet in his honor. Amidst cups of wine and tears of gratitude, the old man had claimed that the only way he could demonstrate his thanks to the Hanzhong army was to award Xiu Juan and Miao Juan to the Horse General who'd so gallantly protected their honor. For all his youth, Ma Chao hadn't been fooled by the man's ceremonious words; he was familiar enough with these lines of thinking: better to be the concubines of a great man than the primary wives of simple village folk.

He was also rapidly becoming familiar with the twins' inane ability to play their coquettish little games at the most inopportune of moments. As his newest "gifts" flounced over, all pouts and kittenish coos and inviting sideways smiles, Ma Chao glared into the night sky, sure that somewhere up there, the Jade Emperor was having a good chuckle at his expense. _Please don't let the Shu forces take much longer to attack Jiameng Pass,_ he prayed fervently, knowing that the alternative would mean his entertaining the Ke twins until the call of duty pried him away from their greedy clutches.

"General Ma, are you listening to us?" Xiu Juan purred in an injured tone, as she sashayed over and took her rightful place by his side.

"General Ma, one of your captains just made a very lewd comment to us!" Miao Juan sulked, jealously latching on to Ma Chao's free arm.

"Defend our honor, Great General!"

"That's right, General—kill that wretched man for insulting us!"

"General?"

"General, are you paying attention to us?"

"General Ma!"

So…where was an invading army when he needed one?

* * *

_1. Younger sister_

_2. Grandpa_

_Note: "Juan" means cuckoo bird. Rather fitting name for the twins, isn't it?_


	45. Chapter Forty Five: Green Silk

**Chapter Forty-Five: Green Silk**

_An innocuous emerald square spurs a troubling confession._

* * *

Amah had no illusions about her popularity amongst the young ladies of the Xi household. She was a dedicated nurse and, at heart, a kindly old woman. She was also strict, indomitable, and far too savvy about even the finest details of etiquette, and had a tendency to be quite a bully when her girls tried to go against her established laws of gentility. It wasn't terribly unusual, therefore, for her day to be graced with a tweaked nose, a sour face, or a sulky pout from a handmaid or young mistress.

But for Amah to get outright attacked—that was certainly _not_ an expected consequence of her iron rule. As the old woman stepped inside the gates to her Young Miss's court, she immediately found herself ambushed on both sides by a pair of raging hostile…peacocks. Her lungs emptied in a massive squawk, as she reflexively leapt back from the overwhelming assault of tiny golden beaks and gigantic emerald-starred plumage. In the process, she dropped her basket of exquisite rainbow-bright orchids that she'd so meticulously clipped and collected for over an hour.

"Yinchun! Firelight!" the poor woman hollered shrilly, sounding decidedly less dignified than the tone she'd perfected over a period of half a century. "Get your skinny, lazy selves out here immediately and explain what is going on!"

If her voice didn't convey the urgency of her quandary, her soprano shrieks more than made up for that deficiency. By the time the two requested handmaids finally emerged from inside the house, they found their plucky old nurse stubbornly doing battle against a pair of equally plucky peacocks for possession of the succulent flowers now scattered on the ground.

"Scat! Go on!" Amah blustered impressively, flapping her heavy brocade sleeves in the birds' unimpressively small faces. "Go on! I wasted an hour collecting these for my Young Miss, and I'll make coats out of you before I let you steal them! _Qu(1)!"_

There it was—the redoubtable Amah, fighting and obviously losing against two peacocks. The sight proved too much for Yinchun and Firelight, who collapsed against each other's shoulders and dissolved into a fit of giggles. Amah, unsurprisingly, did not look amused by their lighthearted treatment of her plight, but she was currently too preoccupied with kicking off her shoe and throwing it at the infernal birds' heads to discipline the handmaids.

At last, Yinchun regained her composure and moved to help out the hapless nurse. She clucked softly at the rabid peacocks, getting their attention and gently ushering them along, while Firelight went to check on the outraged loser in this brief interspecies duel.

"Poor, poor Amah," the crimson-clad maiden cooed sympathetically, trying in vain to hide her merry dimples as she helped the old woman up.

Amah glared at the foolish girl, huffily straightening out her clothes and stepping back into her discarded shoe.

"When did we suddenly acquire a pair of peacocks?" she demanded indignantly, as she shrugged off Firelight's laughing "help" and strode toward the house, unassisted.

"Oh, General Jiang brought them over while you were gone—as a present to Miss Xi Tian, you know," Yinchun spoke up.

However, it was doubtful that Amah, frozen by the front steps with a bewildered look on her face, had even heard the girl's excuse.

Row upon row of copper and bronze birdcages were hung up alongside the mahogany awning of the veranda. Inside these little enclosures, a dozen canaries, nightingales, and golden orioles were twittering and flapping impatiently about. The trained songbirds immediately raised their voices and began singing their little hearts out as soon as Amah stumbled upon them, explaining for her dumbfounded expression and sudden stop at the entrance.

"General Jiang felt quite bad about the Lin _Gu Niang_ incident earlier this week," Firelight added her own voice to the birds,' as she crept up behind Amah's ear and gleefully singsonged her explanation.

Amah turned a sour face to the handmaid.

"Then I suppose the young man thinks that he can apologize by turning Miss Xi Tian's court into an aviary?" she remarked sarcastically, before harrumphing one last time and barreling toward the front doors amidst a whirlwind of bird calls and fluttering feathers.

She heard the handmaids tittering to themselves as she marched up the low granite steps, and made a mental note to reprimand them later. But she made sure to conceal these lines of annoyance from her face when she entered the house: Xi Tian had been particularly moody lately, flittering from mild irritability to melancholic contemplation to long periods of spiritless reticence. But Amah, long familiar with her charge's temperament, thought she understood the girl's current state of mind. After all, her first engagement to Lu Bu had ended on disastrous terms. It must only be natural that she feel uneasy about her upcoming nuptials to Jiang Wei.

_Well, these ought to cheer her up a bit,_ Amah confidently told herself, sparing a glance down at the basket of satiny blossoms looped over one of her arms. With her free hand, she pushed aside the draping velvet portieres leading to Xi Tian's room. The faint sweetness of fragrant incense wafted to her nostrils, as she opened her mouth and bellowed in her jolliest voice, "Miss Xi Tian?"

An equally jolly chirrup answered her call, shrilling back, "Xi _Gu Niang_ prettier than Lin _Gu Niang!_ Xi _Gu Niang_ prettier than Lin _Gu Niang!"_

Amah's eyes shot up incredulously toward the source of the squeaky sayings, only to discover a pair of beady avian eyes gawking back at her. A new parrot was perched inside its little copper cage, a parrot which Jiang Wei must have trained better than its loudmouthed predecessor, judging by the bird's more flattering choice of vocabulary. The little house pet looked down curiously at Amah, before noisily flapping its clover-green wings and squawking, "Old hag! Go away! Xi _Gu Niang_ prettier than old hag!"

The parrot was lucky—its "old hag" was too practical to hold on to any feminine vanities about her looks. Yet at the same time, Amah was lucky as well, in her own way—the racket raised by the opinionated bird attracted the attention of its owner, saving the old woman the trouble of having to go look for her.

Xi Tian eventually emerged from the inner chamber where she'd been hiding in, her eyes lowered modestly to the floor as she scrambled to greet her nurse.

"Amah." Her voice cracked faintly, so she amended by lowering her pitch to a barely audible whisper: "I'm sorry; I was reading. I didn't hear you come in."

Amah laughed heartily at her flimsy excuse.

"I don't blame you—with all the birds fluttering around your court, it's a miracle we can hear ourselves talking right now," she joked good-naturedly.

Xi Tian briefly lifted her head to offer a weak smile, before turning around and shuffling slowly toward a window-side seat. Carefully, almost gingerly, she settled down on the sky-blue upholstery, tucking her legs neatly underneath her the way she'd done a thousand times as a child.

A stretch of awkward silence passed between nurse and charge. The nurse shifted uncomfortably on her feet, while her charge occupied herself with gazing intently at a painting on her wall. Amah recognized the scroll as a scene from the famous folk tale of the Cow Herd and the Weaving Girl—recognized and disapproved, for that tragic tale of two lovers forcibly separated by the bride's Heavenly parents and allowed to reunite only one night a year was not an auspicious image for an engaged woman to become fixated on.

Quickly, as if hoping to tear Xi Tian's attention away from the ill-omened painting, Amah plunked down her basket of flowers before the girl, startling her out of her reverie.

"I thought this place could use some splashes of fresh new color," she beamed, scooping up a handful of the tantalizingly bright blooms and cheerfully waving them around. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Xi Tian frowned.

"They're orchids," she murmured cryptically.

Amah blinked in surprise. That wasn't exactly the enthusiastic response she'd been expecting.

"Why…yes, they _are_ orchids, but—" she started to stammer.

"I don't like orchids," Xi Tian interrupted in a die-away whisper. "They remind me of…In any case, I don't like orchids."

Amah frowned suspiciously. This was not the pouty little tantrum of an emotional bride-to-be that she'd deluded herself into believing for the past several days. The listlessness, the uncharacteristic silence, the hollow-eyed fascination with tales of lost love—it was all a startlingly far cry from the charming girl who'd never known anything but dimples and laughter, the girl Amah had lovingly raised since childhood.

And then her eyes settled on the vibrant, silver-embroidered green handkerchief clutched between Xi Tian's fingers. Even though it was pressed against the gossamer folds of the girl's silk skirts, Amah had no trouble distinguishing that the material was damp with recent tears. Her expression immediately turned grim, as she pushed aside the beautiful collection of orchids that she'd so painstakingly gathered for her young mistress, and reached over to tilt the girl's face upwards.

As she'd suspected—nay, feared—a pair of sickly red rims circled Xi Tian's dull gold eyes, giving testimony to earlier weeping.

"Miss Xi Tian!" The words soared into a screech of alarm. "You've been crying! Miss Xi Tian, what's going on?"

Xi Tian turned her face away and fidgeted with her green silk handkerchief.

"Nothing," she insisted, carefully avoiding eye contact with the old woman who'd been a part of her life from the day she was a born. "I was just saddened by the poem I was reading earlier. 'A Peacock Flying to the Southeast.' You've heard it before, haven't you, Amah?"

"Miss Xi Tian—"

"Liu Lan Zhi was a virtuous and beautiful young woman, in love with a young man named Jiao Zhong Qing," Xi Tian went on quietly, as if in a dream, as if she'd never even noticed her nurse's distressed interruption. "But Jiao Zhong Qing's widowed old mother disapproved of the match, and broke up their happy marriage. Of course, Liu Lan Zhi's family was no better: they immediately promised her hand to another man, thus forcing her to remarry when her heart was already broken."

"Miss Xi Tian, I know the story," Amah broke in tersely.

Her voice was serious, almost stern. There was no way her charge could hope to argue with her, as she added pointedly, "I also happen to know that tales like 'Cowherd and Weaving Girl' and 'A Peacock Flying to the Southeast' are highly inauspicious works for a soon-to-be-bride to be reading. Please. Tell me what's wrong, Miss Xi Tian."

"In the end, Liu Lan Zhi and Jiao Zhong Qing chose to take their own lives, rather than be apart from each other." Xi Tian closed her eyes and paused for a reflective moment. "In any case, it's quite a tragic narrative. That's why I was crying earlier. But other than that, nothing's wrong. No, nothing's wrong at all. Everything's just fine." 

"Miss Xi Tian, don't you try to deceive your own amah. I've raised you from when you were a baby. Raised your sisters too. Don't think I don't know all you Xi girls better than that." Serious. Stern. No way to argue with the stout, gray-haired figure looming before her.

Xi Tian heaved a silent sigh, before drawing her knees to her chest and tiredly resting her cheeks upon them. Her emerald handkerchief dangled limply from her hands, as she finally admitted that something, indeed, _was_ wrong.

"The green silk," she murmured enigmatically. "The green silk…reminded me of him."

* * *

_1. Go away._


	46. Chapter Forty Six: Pink Silk

w00t, the one-year anniversary of _Western Sky!_

It's still hard for me to believe that this story has really been going on for a year! Anyways, I know I've been a horrible updater lately, but college has been keeping me running from place to place (literally! Some of my classes are scattered all the way at opposite ends of the campus x.X) But, I knew I had to get something out for the one-year anniversary of this story, so here it is, the long-overdue Chapter Forty-Six of _Western Sky!_

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Six: Pink Silk**

_A memento from the past inspires a quiet confrontation._

* * *

Clear liquid lapped softly against smooth clay, breaking into crystalline spirals of ripples upon contact. And then it was abruptly lifted up, raised as if by an otherworldly force, and turned on its side to unceremoniously splash into islands of bronze below.

"_Lai lai lai(1)!"_ Zhang Fei chortled loudly, pouring generous servings of pungent rice spirits for everyone gathered around the low card table. "What's a good game without refreshments, right?" And he cheerfully let the clear alcohol rain in torrents over the goblets waiting below.

From her seat, Yue Ying shot a discreet look of incredulity at her husband. It wasn't an everyday occurrence when a woman was invited to these loud, bawdy, and usually drunken gambling sessions. But on this particular occasion, Zhang Fei found himself needing a fourth player, and neither of his oath brothers were exactly within hollering distance. In fact, convincing the Prime Minister alone to join had been a mighty task. But the Prime Minister's wife—the only reason Lady Huang had finally caved in was because she didn't want to be responsible for dimming the Second Tiger's enthusiastic mood right before a critical campaign.

Which was how Yue Ying found herself reluctantly joining her equally wary husband for a friendly gambling session with Zhang Fei. The latter's young son, Zhang Bao, had come onboard at the last minute, taking the spot usually reserved for Zhao Yun and thus completing the quartet of players.

As the men at the table drank a quick pre-game toast—Zhuge Liang with meticulous care, Zhang Bao with all the beaming pride of an adolescent just recently allowed to taste alcohol, and the boy's father practically inhaling an entire wine jar—the only woman present snuck a worried look at the cards she held before her. Having never been an avid gambler in all twenty-three years of her life, Yue Ying was now finding herself trying to decipher exactly what the various numbers and images meant. She could only assume that the number cards worked in ascending order…so that must mean that her red seven was greater than her black five, right?

But what of the peculiar cards with dainty human figures painted on them? There was one bearing semblance to what Yue Ying assumed was an Imperial consort, judging by the elaborate robes and headdress she wore. What was her relationship to the man in Warring States period armor? Yue Ying frowned worriedly to herself, but her time for silent musing was rapidly beginning to run out: Zhang Bao had already laid out the first card, thus initiating the game.

"Your turn, Lady Huang," the boy's father hiccupped tipsily.

Well, at least the Tiger General had been enough of a gentleman to turn his head away and belch upwind from Yue Ying. The poor lady warrior managed a weak smile, as she contemplated her move. The strategist in her didn't particularly like to lose a game of wits, yet at the same time, years of playing chess against Kongming had taught her to take defeats with surprising grace.

Yue Ying decided to take a chance, and slid her Imperial consort card across the table. After all, it was just a game; she had nothing serious to lose, really. Besides, she didn't much care for the smug look painted on the concubine's too-red lips—she was glad to be rid of that particular card either way.

So was, for that matter, the host presiding over their gambling table. Zhang Fei's eyes lit up in delight upon seeing the Imperial consort's falsely beautiful face smirking up at him, before he seized upon the little rectangle with a triumphant whoop and eagerly added it to his own hand.

"Hah! I have a Peach!" the swarthy giant hollered, with all the glee of a little boy winning his first game.

Yue Ying blinked.

"Peach?" she echoed to herself, as Zhang Fei continued to loudly celebrate his victory.

Zhang Bao, who was seated next to her, leaned over to whisper out an explanation.

"My old man names his hands after food—that's how he remembers them," the young spearman revealed, as said "old man" merrily laid his cards upon the table, snapping them out one by one.

Yue Ying smiled and nodded: "I understand."

"The lowest hand is Peanut," Zhang Bao continued in a confidential whisper. "Peach is generally considered the winning hand. It can only be beaten by—"

"Litchi, am I correct?" Zhuge Liang interrupted in a languid drawl.

The combination of amusement and deep-seated confidence in his voice was strong enough to break through even Zhang Fei's cloud of euphoria. The proud owner of the Peach hand narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as he questioned his challenger, "What are you talking about?"

Zhuge Liang smiled—one of those slow, almost indolent smiles that never failed to drive his opponents crazy.

"Forgive my ignorance, General Zhang, as I've previously only observed these games but never actually participated in them," he began, with all the smooth politeness in the world. "However, I _do_ recall that a particularly rare hand—I believe you call it Litchi?—defeats all others."

And here he began laying out his hand in groups of three.

"Three of each kind constitutes a Litchi…am I right?" Zhuge Liang drawled after he'd finished this task.

Zhang Fei grumbled something incoherent under his breath, before turning to his side and taking such a huge consolation gulp from his wine jug, twin lines of alcohol ran messily down his chin. When the rice spirits had loosened him up a bit, he conceded grudgingly, "Yeah, yeah, you're right as always, Prime Minister. Just that I'm not used to losing. Damn!"

"That's because General Zhao always used to let him win," Zhang Bao leaned over and disclosed to Yue Ying, who merely smiled.

She didn't particularly care to admit it, but she was pleasantly surprised by how much she was enjoying this game.

However, the smile was quick to slip off her lips when she caught her husband's troubled expression. Mention of the Little Dragon's name had brought a disquieted look onto Kongming's face. Yue Ying thought she detected lines of concern…and was that perhaps a tinge of guilt in his eyes?

Slowly, Zhuge Liang stood up. Gathering his fan and hat, the Shu strategist leisurely dipped a bow to his host, then turned and repeated the courteous gesture with the other players at the table.

"If you'll excuse me," he began apologetically, "I must be going now."

And with those words he left, slowly ambling out of the room and heading toward the general direction of the ship's deck.

Yue Ying bit down on her lower lip, following her husband's movements with worried almond eyes, until he had vanished out of view. Zhang Fei didn't look particularly happy, either, but his reasons were wholly different from hers, and his distress was easily placated the minute Xing Cai passed by.

"Daughter!" the Second Tiger blustered merrily. "Come join us; we could use a fourth player!"

The sultry nineteen-year-old girl paused, and exchanged a meaningful look with her brother. Zhang Bao nodded, and below the table, his hand curved in a special gesture which only his sister understood. After this brief sibling exchange, Xing Cai's lips arched in a crimson smile of comprehension, before she stepped inside and duly took over the seat Zhuge Liang had just vacated.

"If you say so, Father," she agreed, then added sweetly, "Father, would you care for some more wine?"

Before Zhang Fei had the time to respond in the affirmative, his daughter had already leaned over to pour him another cup of spirits, taking the opportunity to also sneak a look at his card hand.

"Ahem." Xing Cai softly cleared her throat, upon which hearing it Zhang Bao immediately trained his eyes in her direction.

While Zhang Fei preoccupied himself with finishing his drink, Xing Cai discreetly began revealing the cards in his possession. Two fives…three eights…Xing Cai then raised two fingers and tapped gently at her temples, and it was here that Yue Ying gave up trying to decipher the secret code brother and sister had worked out since childhood.

But Zhang Bao had obviously learned enough, and he now spoke up loudly: "Well, I guess I'll go first, then." With that, he laid down a number card—a red five.

"Is that a five I see?" Xing Cai observed innocently, just loud enough to draw their father's attention.

"Where?" Zhang Fei looked, and upon confirmation of the five, wasted no time bellowing, "Hah!"

With a roar of triumph, he snatched up the card, and began whooping, "That's all I needed! Thanks, son!" And with that, he smugly revealed his own Litchi hand—his first one since Zhao Yun had quietly stopped playing a few weeks earlier.

"Oh, no! If I'd known what you had, I never would've put out that five!" his son wailed convincingly.

Yue Ying shot an amused look at Xing Cai, causing the girl to smile guiltily before raising a finger to her lips in the gesture for secrecy. As Zhang Bao continued to lay on the theatrics, Yue Ying turned her head away and faked a few coughs to mask her laughter. Yes, she really _was_ enjoying this game—far more than she'd initially expected to.

* * *

Roseate.

"_Here." Twin dimples graced winsome lips, as slim hands offered a small token of appreciation._

"_I will forever cherish this, fair Orchid." Spoken with just a tinge of jest, eyebrows waggling playfully, as if demanding a richer reward for pulling the maiden out of the Great River._

_Golden-hued eyes rolling heavenward, soaked handkerchief dabbing at wet forehead and cheeks, pale green droplets splashing from water-damaged silk and gently tingeing cool skin. When the task was over and the maiden preoccupied with other matters, her handsome cavalier stealthily snuck her handkerchief amongst his own possessions._

Faintly perfumed.

"_You said this was supposed to be a joke."_

"_It is."_

"_Then where's the funny part?"_

_A playful tug at the showy lotus in her hair: "Have a little patience and I'll get to the funny part."_

"_Oh, all right. Go on, then." A pout, thrown as a warning of future complaints to come if he didn't get to the funny part of the joke soon._

"_So the young man went to his local fortune-teller, and was told that he would meet a beautiful girl one day_—'Hui peng dao yi ge mei nu yi tian.'_ Hearing this, the young man smiled and confidently returned to his village. He waited for an entire year, but still his promised beauty did not show up, so one morning he returned to the fortune-teller's to complain."_

"_And what happened?"_

"_The young man lamented to the fortune-teller: 'You told me I would meet a beautiful girl one day. _Hui peng dao yi ge mei nu yi tian._ Why is it that she still does not come?' Hearing this, the fortune-teller let out a loud laugh and shook his head, smiling and saying, 'Young man, you misheard me. I didn't say you would meet a beautiful girl one day.' And he laughed again."_

"_Well, what did he say, then? Don't be mean; tell me the rest of this story."_

_A mischievous grin: "He said, 'What I told you was—_Hui peng dao yi ge mei nu, Xi Tian. _You will meet a beautiful girl, Xi Tian!' "_

_Eyes widened in a mixture of embarrassment and delight, cheeks flared as pink as the handkerchief exchanged upon the Chang Jiang._

"_At last, the young man realized that he couldn't just sit around and wait for the maiden to find him one day. Instead, he'd have to go out and search for this beauty named Xi Tian—"_

_But he never got to finish his joke, for, with a cry, the titular character of his story had sprung upon him and was now trying to smother him with his own tiger's skin._

Soft, shimmering silk.

"_No!"_

_Face ashen with stunned betrayal, he turned around to look at her, possibly for the last time. He'd been prepared to fight for her, if necessary, die for her…but she'd refused. She couldn't allow him to make that sacrifice for her. He understood, and yet he didn't._

_And then she was gone, taken away by the man he'd been dueling so fiercely a second, a minute, a lifetime ago. He watched her leave with broken eyes—a pale, almost ethereal figure in the moonlight, disappearing into the velvety darkness of the night, sailing away on the Chang Jiang so that she might go home. Home, to her father. Home, to the young man waiting to make her his wife._

_She never said good-bye._

Zhao Yun stared in moody silence across the expanse of land and water, unheeding of the playful breeze which insisted upon dancing with his long, dark hair. The lustrous, lotus-pink handkerchief entwined between his fingers fluttered filmily in the river wind, moving with a mischievous grace so reminiscent of its mistress. Zhao Yun closed his eyes and wordlessly brought the slip of silk to his cheek, as if hoping that this gesture could somehow bring back the warmth and laughter of the girl who'd once owned that very handkerchief.

When he heard the soft treading of familiar footsteps, he failed to open his eyes or turn around, but did straighten up in acknowledgement when a voice behind him pronounced, "We'll be landing at Yizhou soon."

No words were spoken to answer that perfunctory opening statement, but Zhuge Liang chose to go on: "It will be a very intense campaign, Zilong."

Zhao Yun finally turned around.

"And you're afraid I might be too preoccupied with personal matters to give it my all, is that right?" The words were flat, almost dull, but nevertheless spoken without a trace of venom.

Zhuge Liang frowned and walked up to join Zhao Yun by the deck railings, but before he could say anything, the young warrior beside him had already uttered the inevitable question: "How long, Prime Minister? How long have you known?"

"About Xi _Gu Niang?"_ the strategist asked.

"About everything," came the soft response.

Zhuge Liang sighed. Well, he had been putting off this moment for the past couple of weeks; it was time he got this over with. Besides, Zhao Yun deserved to know his reasons, his motivation, for deceiving him about…everything.

"I believe we need to talk," Zhuge Liang spoke up quietly.

* * *

_1. Come on._


	47. Chapter Forty Seven: Oaths and Confessio

A/N: I'm sooooooooo sorry for the three-month-long hiatus! Between first quarter of college and writer's block settling in halfway through this chapter, any semblance of regular updates pretty much went down the toilet…until now! MOO HA HA! Okay, that just made absolutely no sense whatsoever…Anyways, I'll stop babbling now. Here's the horrendously overdue Chapter Forty-Seven! Ta da!

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Oaths and Confessions**

_Loyalty versus Love; Duty versus Desire._

_

* * *

_

It had begun to rain, fine mists of liquid silver sailing down from the still-sunny skies and creating tiny bursts of color on the leaves and ponds below.

Outside Xi Tian's court, the various species of birds—General Jiang Wei's gift aviary, as Amah had so eloquently called them—had been galvanized into noisy action as soon as the first cool drops began to splash down from the Heavens. The arrogant pair of peacocks were squawking with shrill indignation, swishing their drooping tails about and tottering for cover beneath the nearby magnolia trees. Safe in their copper cages, the various songbirds were amusing themselves with yet another melody. This new little aria was almost taunting in tone, as its dozen composers hopped in excitement and looked down contemptuously at the awkward peacocks waddling below.

In the midst of this symphony of raucous squalls and musical notes stood Yinchun and Firelight. The two handmaids were leaning over the mahogany railings enclosing the front veranda, enjoying the beauty of the newly formed rainbow and laughing in spirited delight at the impromptu avian performance chattering by their ears.

"Hey let's try this," Firelight suggested mischievously, before removing a showy red rose from her hair and tossing it in the direction of the peacocks.

One—the more imprudent of the pair—wandered out from beneath the shelter of its tree to examine this pretty new present. Immediately, the icy rain overhead drenched the foolish bird from head to splendid tail, causing it to screech and clumsily flee for safety.

Inside the veranda, the two handmaids dissolved into fits of merry giggles, before the elder of the pair cleared her throat and suggested, "Miss Xi Tian should see this; I'll go inside and get her."

And with that, Yinchun turned around and entered the house in a rustle of deep rose portieres. Firelight was left outside to continue teasing the dimwitted birds by herself.

"_Ai_…come here!"

Yinchun giggled to herself when she heard the feisty scarlet-clad girl sing out, before a chorus of oriole melodies and peacock shrieks drowned out Firelight's laughing voice. She was still smiling into her violet handkerchief as she stepped into her young mistress's chambers.

"Miss Xi Tian?" she started to say. "Miss Xi Tian, Firelight and I were—"

The smile was quick to slip off her face when her eyes settled upon the slumped form of her mistress. Miss Xi Tian was crying! No, it was more than that—she was leaning her head on Amah's enormous lap and weeping as if her life were about to end.

Yinchun paused, stunned, and for a few moments could only gape in speechless silence. When at last she found her voice, she took a tiny, hesitant step further into the room and spoke up timidly: "Miss Xi Tian…are you…are you feeling well?"

Amah looked up and quickly shushed the handmaid.

"Miss Xi Tian's fine," the old woman announced briskly, in a voice that left no room for arguments. "Go back outside to Firelight; Miss Xi Tian needs to be alone for now."

Yinchun nodded mutely, her eyes still wide, her lips curved into a troubled frown.

"_Ai."_ At last, she nodded obediently, before turning around and softly padding off to rejoin her fellow handmaid on the veranda.

Amah followed the girl's progress with still-sharp hawk eyes, and only until the soft whisper of silken draperies had signaled Yinchun's departure did she begin to speak again.

"Don't worry, Miss Xi Tian. Yinchun's very discreet; she won't say a word of this to anyone," the old woman murmured in a soothing voice, gently patting her charge's raven hair in much the same way she'd comforted her a thousand times before when she was a little girl.

Xi Tian didn't bother to even lift her head.

"I don't care if the whole world knows," she sniffed petulantly into Amah's embroidered apron.

Amah looked alarmed at this potentially dangerous declaration.

"Miss Xi Tian, you can't mean that," she chided. "Think of the scandal that would cause—think of how devastated your father will be."

Xi Tian was silent.

Amah continued stroking the girl's head, the gesture soothing, almost lulling, mimicking the way a doting mother rocks her baby to sleep.

"Oh, my poor, poor Young Miss," the old woman lamented. "Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

* * *

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt." Zhuge Liang let his eyes flicker across the horizon to the eternal stretch of water beyond.

"You know I would never willingly deceive you, Zilong, but in this instance…" His voice trailed off, as his swan feather fan slowly swished back and forth in the absence of explanatory words.

Zhao Yun pressed his lips into a thin line.

"I'll be twenty-five soon," the handsome warrior mused, picking this topic seemingly out of the blue.

When Zhuge Liang failed to respond, Zhao Yun repeated, his voice soft: "I'll be twenty-five soon. I'll have fought in a thousand battles, marched on a thousand campaigns, slain a thousand enemies…"

"Not even the greatest heroes are immune to heartbreak," Zhuge Liang broke in sensibly.

"Nevertheless," Zhao Yun replied, with a quiet dignity rarely found in men of his youthful years," there was no need to try to protect me from the truth."

With those words, both men relapsed into silence. Their boat rocked gently back and forth, as it continued its long trek across the unfathomably green waters of the Chang Jiang. For a few minutes, the two passengers on deck seemed content with staring wordlessly at the majestic horizon, unwilling or perhaps simply unable to carry on their difficult conversation.

At last, Zhao Yun broke the silence. Turning around so that he was facing his Prime Minister, the young Tiger General looked at the Sleeping Dragon straight in the eye and asked unflinchingly, "When will the marriage take place?"

* * *

"In six months," Amah murmured, parroting the words her mistress knew only too well. "Just think of it—in only six months' time, my Young Miss will no longer be a 'Miss,' but instead become the cherished new bride of one of our kingdom's most promising young officers. Your father couldn't ask for a better match. At last, after ten years of misfortune, the House of Xi is finally rising once more. Heaven smiles upon us again, and especially upon you, dear child."

Xi Tian nestled her head on her voluminous sleeves and continued gazing off into nothingness, as she dully pretended to listen to what the other woman was saying. A fresh line of tears slowly trickled down her exposed cheek, betraying that she was still fighting to reject the truth of her nurse's reasoning. Jiang Wei's gold kylin rested heavily against her chest, and only felt as if it were somehow getting heavier and heavier with each word, each phrase, each piece of advice Amah spouted.

"Now, Miss Xi Tian, it's not so terrible being engaged to General Jiang, is it?" The nurse sounded almost pleading, as if she were begging her mistress to accept the inevitable nuptial arrangement. "After all, he's young and clever and so very handsome, and any fool can see that he loves you very much. You are truly lucky to have General Jiang, even if you don't realize it right now—"

"But I don't _want_ General Jiang!" Xi Tian at last burst out, throwing herself violently onto her bed and burying her face into her pillows. "I don't want General Jiang, or General Lu, or anybody else! If my father were to offer me a prince, I'll not have him! I only want…"

Here, her voice trailed off, and she sank back behind the safety of her sleeves and pillows. Her face was flaming with scarlet mortification, as she realized how close she'd come to blurting out her disgraceful desires in front of her faithful old nurse.

But still, Amah knew. Amah always knew.

"You only want that young warrior from Shu…but now that you're in Wei, he's an enemy of your kingdom, an enemy of your family…Miss Xi Tian, General Zhao Yun is your enemy now," she murmured sadly.

No response.

"You're not yet twenty, Miss Xi Tian," Amah at last broke the heavy silence. "You're still such a child."

She paused, and looked ready to weep alongside her mistress. With tremendous effort, the old woman managed to control that impulse, and weakly petted the girl's head. She had to stay strong, for her mistress's sake, or else the poor girl would have no one to lean on…

"You're still young, Miss Xi Tian," Amah continued, gently stroking her charge's raven hair and discreetly dabbing at the corners of her own red-rimmed eyes. "You still have so much left to learn. Someday—perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, perhaps not over the first year of your marriage to General Jiang, even—but someday, you'll learn to accept all the responsibilities you were born into. You'll learn that such things as duty, loyalty, and honor must come before the foolish whims of a young girl's heart—because those things are forever, while a first love is as ephemeral as a season."

Xi Tian scowled.

"I am not a child," she asserted petulantly. "No more coddling and babying—if I'm old enough to get married, I'm old enough to be treated as an adult."

"Then as an adult," Amah interrupted, "you must be prepared to make all the necessary sacrifices. You must understand that in some cases, you'll have to forego your own happiness for the greater good. Are you truly ready to do that?"

* * *

"What other choice do I have?" Zhao Yun's voice was low, although whether with apathy or discouragement, or possibly even both, one couldn't tell. "I certainly can't ride brashly into Wei and steal her away on her wedding night."

Yet the young Tiger General could very well do that, and the strategist standing beside him knew that fact quite well.

It was only after a pensive pause that Zhao Yun revealed the reason reining him back from ever attempting such an escapade: "It could spark yet another war amongst our two kingdoms, and I'll never allow Shu to be dragged into my personal affairs."

"An admirable vow, General," Zhuge Liang spoke succinctly, his fan moving in an elegant white swish of swan feathers. "However, I have to wonder if your resolve will stay this unwavering as the day of Xi _Gu Niang's_ marriage ceremony draws nearer and nearer."

Zhao Yun failed to reply for several seconds. When he finally answered the other man's veiled challenge, his voice was devoid of any emotion, yet at the same time firm with the strength of the mythical dragon that was his namesake.

"My first love is the Shu kingdom," he vowed. "It always will be. No woman can change that."

"And on the upcoming campaign against the warriors of the Ma Clan…?" Zhuge Liang let his sentence dangle on this questioning note.

"You have nothing to worry about," Zhao Yun declared flatly. "Whatever happens with Xi _Gu Niang,_ I will not forget my duty to our Lord Liu Bei."


End file.
